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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24266341">One Two Three (Four)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CringePhase/pseuds/CringePhase'>CringePhase</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Amnesia, Angst, Brotherly Bonding, Deception, Family Feels, Family-centric, Father-Son Relationship, Gaslighting, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, It's Don-centric but the Fam's side has it's own spotlight, Manipulation, Not cest in the slightest they are family, Sort Of, Villain Donatello, Villain Draxum, currently looking to be about 20 chapters, occasional teenage-typical swearing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:22:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>49,248</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24266341</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CringePhase/pseuds/CringePhase</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Season 1 Post "Shadow of Evil", Pre "How to Make Enemies and Bend People to Your Will"; Draxum is working with the Foot but not yet conned his way to the top.</p><p>Four brothers entered a battle, three returned home. Meanwhile, Baron Draxum has a new side kick, with a catch.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Baron Draxum &amp; Huginn-and-Muninn (TMNT), Donatello &amp; Baron Draxum (TMNT), Donatello &amp; Huginn-and-Muninn (TMNT), Donatello &amp; Leonardo &amp; Michelangelo &amp; April O'Neil &amp; Raphael (TMNT), Donatello &amp; Leonardo &amp; Michelangelo &amp; Raphael (TMNT), Donatello &amp; Splinter (TMNT)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>149</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>166</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. First There Were Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I love writing banter.</p><p>Wrote this months ago, figured if I was gonna actually be using this account might as well put this here too--even if it's a little outdated.</p><p>I wrote the majority of this entire fic before "Insane in the Mama Train" aired. So there's a lot that I just assumed.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t everyday that they lost a fight. It wasn’t even everyday that they were IN a fight. On the days they </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> in combat, they did not always lose just to luck out at the last second--hard to believe, unfortunately. But the days they avoid combat and the days they win battles doesn’t really matter on the days that they are losing.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Like today, for example. They were definitely losing this one.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon guys, we are SO not losing this time!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Some (read: four) turtles just haven’t gotten the memo yet. In due time, some (read: three) of them will.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It started as it usually did: Coincidence. The boys had all geared up for a fun night up top on the surface--chill at Run of the Mill, eat some pizza, maybe crash April’s new job in an attempt to be supportive and helpful yet ultimately resulting in her back on the job market, the usual. They brought their weapons to practice in the downtime, though none really thought they were going to do so. As previously stated, they were swamped today.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So of course car alarms in the distance followed by the slight tremble of plant life breaking free of its undercity prison and signalling the familiar kind of mystical bullshit we’re used to yet always surprised by just HAD to happen, right?” Leonardo had complained, as car alarms and the slight tremble of plant life diverted their attention from fun shenanigans to superhero work time.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Language, Leo.” Donatello lazily chastised, looking down at the tech on his wrist.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Man, our schedule is gonna be so wacked now…” Leo spared no glance to the critique.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go, Team!” Raphael began running towards the aforementioned mystical bullshit, followed by a whooping Mikey. The middle children were quick to follow, Leo stopping to grumble one last time and Don getting a late start due to recalculating their incredibly busy and important schedule with lightning fast fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nevertheless, the important detail was: All four of them made it to the scene.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They jumped from rooftop to rooftop, keeping to the shadows on instinct as they closed in on this week’s villain. They hid behind a billboard once they entered what Mikey likes to call “The Battle Zone”, where they could be seen by villains or civilians. Donnie took notice of the large vines bulging out of the streets and the feeling of otherworldly power in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh great, it's everyone’s favorite Sheep Creep.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Draxum? What’s he got against…” Raph peeked at the scene of the crime, “…old, locally owned, used book stores?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“By my guess it’s about that mystical armor he keeps looking for.” Donnie pondered, rubbing his chin.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you allowed to guess??” Mikey gasped at the family genius.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, unlike everyone else, all of my so-called guesses are </span>
  <em>
    <span>immediately</span>
  </em>
  <span> classified as ‘educated guesses’.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh, yeah,” Leo confidently chuckled with a cocky grin, leaning on his sword as if it were a fencepost. “Still has the word ‘guess’ in the title.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No sooner than the second those words came out of his mouth, a metal arm had snuck out of Donnie’s Battle Shell and down to the ground where it grabbed the tip of the sword, giving it a quick tug. All of Leo’s weight crashed down with a yelp as all balance was lost. The bored expression on Don’s face did not falter, yet the satisfaction was still evident.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Focus, guys. We can’t risk another piece lost to Draxum and those Foot guys. You heard Dad, it’s dangerous.” Raphael stressed; watching his younger siblings bicker usually triggered his leadership role.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Relaaaaax, if it was so easy to find all of the pieces, then everyone would have it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Mike’s got a point,” Don agreed, trying and failing to avoid sounding surprised. “It’s mathematically improbable for every single piece to be obtained by one group--even more so if you factor in the improbability of them all being located in the City. If even one, single, shard is lost, their entire evil plot is null.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you’re saying it’s impossible, because of math?” Leo's muffled voice asked, still face first on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no no no, improbable means it is unlikely but still possible. Whereas impossible literally means ‘not possible’.” Donnie chuckled, “Little fun fact for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, ignoring your math, they could totally resurrect an evil ghost?” Raph asked.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, sure, but if you ignore math you may as well ignore--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we can </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> let that happen!” Raphael clenched his fist dramatically, recalling Splinter’s grave tone on the subject and, more importantly, choosing to ignore both math and his brother. “Mad Dogs, roll out!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael jumped off the building and further into The Battle Zone, while Donnie and Michelangelo rolled the still horizontal Leo off the edge and below. Leonardo twisted in the air and landed perfectly with a dab on Raph’s waiting shell, high-fiving Mikey as the youngest landed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’know, we should really begin investment in a better team name.” Donatello thought aloud.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Like what?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Turtles!” A booming voice startled the younger Mad Dogs members.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, too boring.” Raph commented, scratching his head. “There’s more to us than being turtles, y’know? We’re also…. Ninjas…. And--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baron Draxum watched unamused as his creations scrambled to get the attention of the biggest member and turned to the Foot soldiers around him. He located and pointed to a small group gossiping by the window. “You. Aid my fight, do not underestimate them. Everyone else, find that shard.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have the authority to--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum glared at the soldier who dared speak against him, shadows harsh on his horns and face, making his eyes appear to glow. He resembled a form of pure power and strength alike as he towered over the now-shaking humans. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“--Yep yeah, aye-aye sir, sounds good.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The large mutant turned back to the Turtles, fawn legs perched to strike. Raph had not faltered in verbalizing his thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“--So I guess a better name would be, what? Ninja Mutant Teen Turtles?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Raphael, I love you and I appreciate your alphabetically arranged team naming but--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Attack!” Draxum commanded, vines springing to action to lift him higher as Foot soldiers pounced.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“--we ha</span>
  <em>
    <span>VE COMPANY!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The turtles belatedly sprung into action as the Foot advanced on them, meeting them less than halfway. Raphael immediately took to his tank status, charging to meet the larger cluster of Foot soldiers. Ancient Ninja Group or not, there were still human grunts mixed in with the origami army, and Raphael, a slightly larger than average snapping turtle, was ready to test the power imbalance himself. It was an additional cherry on top that it also kept more enemies off his brothers, capable as they are, Raph was always prepared to watch out for them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, he’s not the only one. It could have been two.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As Raphael literally barrelled into the awaiting ninjas, parrying hits with his forearms and fists alone, his three teammates scattered and selected their own battles. Foot soldiers circled them and showcased their acrobatics to avoid mystical kusari-fundo and portal party tricks. Leonardo and Michelangelo naturally found themselves back-to-back, foolishly boosting the morale of the Foot attacking them. Foolish, for the Foot.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The brothers smirked at each other, looking as if they were somehow born already on the same page.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatcha thinkin’, Miguel?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m thinking, it’s been a while since I’ve played…. Pinball.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They readied their weapons as the Foot surrounded, effectively walling them in. In their mood setting dramatics, Leo found the time to spin his ōdachi confidently, while unconfidently he prayed for the mystical properties of said sword to actually work. Luckily, the bright blue portal opened as he finished his flourish with a big, arching slash. As the portal opened, Mikey threw his previously spinning kusari-fundo, sending its entire momentum through. Leo dodged and immediately flattened himself to the ground as the exit portal opened 90 degrees to the right, just outside of the ring of soldiers.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Box Mode, Go!” Michael shouted as he jumped and pulled all of his limbs (and head) into his shell.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Foot glanced at each other with confusion for a moment before the kusari-fundo sprang from the exit portal, smacking a few to the ground and barreling into Box Mode Mikey, pinging off him and sending them both into separate directions at full speed. They hit and bounced off Foot soldiers and collateral damage (fire hydrants, poles, etc.) at a rapid pace, the battlefield filled with sounds of pinging and clanking. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As the last Foot fell, Mikey popped back into the world and fluidly caught the chain of his weapon, halting their reign of chaos.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo stood as his portal closed and fist-bumped his awaiting brother, content with being the lazy one today. “Now that’s what I call a High Score.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum had watched from his plant perch, overseeing both the search for the shard and the battle against his Turtles. He glared as the orange’s and blue’s plan played out, silently admitting that they were getting moderately decent at their predestined roles. Not nearly as good as they could, of course, if they had joined him. But enough to be a nuisance, and Baron Draxum was more than prepared to cut them down before they became anything more than that. A thick, pinkish vine rose to strike the celebrating brothers, unknowingly catching the attention of the purple one nearby.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello had been clumsily dodging and parrying attacks with his bō as Raphael headbutted a soldier unconscious. Donnie jumped to avoid a low sweep and stuck to the wall behind him with metal claws emerging from his Battle Shell. He swung his bō and successfully knocked one of the two soldiers away, giving him a brief window to notice the threat of attack on his brothers.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no--Raph, cover me!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m! A little busy! At the moment! AGH!” Raphael smacked a soldier off his shoulder and was immediately bombarded on his other shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Don breathed out as the soldier he knocked away returned with a friend from Raph’s group, all three glaring up at him and readying to take him down, “No problem, I can work with this.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Battle Shell ascended him a couple feet higher as he glared down at the humans beginning to run up the walls, like a scene right out of a Lou Jitsu movie. Donnie opened an app on his wrist tech and smirked darkly as a Tesla coil laser gun sprouted from behind his shoulder. The soldiers’ eyes widened, one even faltering long enough to lose his footing on the wall.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Commence Field Test One.” With that, the electric laser fired at the ninjas below him, slowing their momentum and sending them back to the ground. He auto-locked them as targets and his laser fired at them when they attempted to ascend again while he moved his attention to Baron Draxum and his rapidly forming vine. He pressed a button on his bō and activated the transforming mechanic, its machinery moving and forming a scope and barrel--and a selfie stick with phone attached sprouting from over his shoulder. He flipped his goggles onto his eyes with a quick head flick and took aim, steadying his shaking arms and tracking onto the sheep mutant ahead of him, awaiting for the bō to stabilize onto him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, c’mon….” He nervously glanced down at the frustrated soldiers and then over at his oblivious brothers, so close yet too far to warn. As he peered through the sights again, the reticle successfully lined up onto their most powerful enemy and he released the button, launching a palm-sized missile directly to Baron Draxum. “Yes!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The explosion caught Draxum by surprise, having forgotten the purple one, and it blindsided him, knocking the striking momentum of his vine attack off his target and blinding him with smoke. Donnie flipped his goggles back up and turned to give a peace sign, a wink, and a smile at the camera as it flashed, catching the moment of impact over his shoulder. Not only a great play, but a pleasing composition as well.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The vine, having been coiled for an attack, continued with its momentum and crashed into the earth anyway, but missed its mark by a couple feet and sent two screaming brothers into the air by its sheer power. Leo quickly grabbed Mikey’s hand and pulled them both back from the impact, landing first with a brother landing on his lap and looking up in horror at the near death experience.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” He breathed, patting Mikey’s head distractedly, “That’s gonna haunt me tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys!” Raphael yelled across The Battle Zone, punching a clustered group of distracted soldiers into the wall before running to his stunned brothers, shoulder-checking the soldiers that were attempting to climb to Don, “Everyone ok?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh.” “Oxygen Potassium.” “Ignoring the nightmares in my future, yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey good shot, Dee!” Raphael complemented over his shoulder at the still-perched brother.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that?” Donnie attempted to play down, betrayed by the overconfident tone in his voice as he plucked his phone out of the selfie stick and transformed his bō back into a bō. He un-perched and landed on the last Foot soldier, knocking them out, and looked down at his phone, not yet joining the group. “Yeah I guess it was pretty great, you owe me bros.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leonardo rolled his eyes as Donnie started the filtering process of selfie culture, mumbling about someone being a show-off who couldn’t just say thanks and move on. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” A deep voice crowned from the smoke as a vine platform carrying Baron Draxum moved him out of the smoke, still in one piece and glaring with immense hatred. Tendrils of smoke clung to his horns and altered arms. “good shot.” He quickly manipulated the felled vine into an arching swing and directly into the distracted Donatello, whose eyes widened at the assault mere moments before impact. The swing hit him with a sickening crack and sent him sailing across the Battle Zone, in the opposite direction of his screaming brothers. “But not good enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The brothers watched, panicked as their purple counterpart seemingly vanished from the impact. Their only indication that he wasn’t eviscerated on the spot was the rapidly retreating scream of pain and the cloud of dust his impact with the used book store created. Visions of broken bones, bloody heads, and shattered shells filled their imaginations as they lost sight of their soft-shelled brother.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you are SO gonna regret just doing that.” Raph growled, letting his rare anger fuel him as his fists crackled with red power.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Mikey, Raph,” Leo and Mikey had stood up in their panic and Leo cut through the air with his sword, “You guys take horns here I’ll be right ba--” The platform holding Draxum smashed into any blue magic left in the air by the sword, destroying it before it could become usable.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not letting </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> of you out of my sight.” He growled, stepping off his ride.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dee….Dee’ll be fine, we gotta stick together.” Raph said, rubbing away at his tears, hoping to rub clean the image of his hurt brother in the process. He looked over at his furious and worried brothers and nodded at them in a silent command. Stick together. Protect each other. Don’t fail like he just failed Don.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph smashed his fists together and glowed with red power, shouting a battle cry as they all lunged toward Draxum and the small remaining army of Foot soldiers left. Power crackled as fists met faces, fire fwooshed past and into enemies, and swords clanged as they met armor. Raph broke through a soldier and ran straight to Draxum, who caught his fist and pulled his momentum, throwing Raph behind him and straight towards Leo. Leo swung his sword in panicked motions as he watched his tank of a brother fly towards him, yelling, a portal opening at the last possible second and sending Raph directly into the back of Draxum. He bounced off, flipping in the air and landing perfectly as Leo let out a sigh of relief and a thumbs up to Raph. As Raph prepared for another head-on attack, Mikey swung his kusari-fundo towards a nearby pole, smacking into a few Foot soldiers running towards Leo before bouncing off the back of Draxum’s head, stunning him long enough for Raph to close in and throw a punch with a growl.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Even stunned, Draxum caught Raph’s incoming fist. The impact created a smack and a gust of wind. Raph ground his teeth as he struggled against their enemy, red energy travelling up his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon guys, we are <em>so</em> not losing this time!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Except they are. They already have.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We begin.</p><p>Editing notes: bye Donnie</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Freudian Slip</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>To the victor goes the spoils. Even the ones they didn't know were in the equation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Draxum bashed his skull against Raphael’s and kicked him to the side while he was stunned. Immediately he summoned his mystic powers to block a sword attack from behind, as if sensing the attack rather than seeing it coming. He turned to glare at a nervously sweating Leonardo through the vines when his glorified shoulder pads fluttered towards him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re clear Boss, let’s go!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey guys! Been a while, how are you all?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey and Leo stared at Huginn and Muninn then glanced at each other, unsure. “…Good?” “Y’know, I’ve been better.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum effortlessly flicked Leo into Mikey and boarded his vine as Huginn and Muninn returned to their perch. Raphael stood and sprinted towards them, jumping and reaching to grab onto the vine, only for his fingers to barely miss their mark and he fell back to the ground. He watched Baron Draxum smirk at his attempts and sail away, his mission successful.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael tumbled to the ground and stared up at the sky, stunned. “…We lost….”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeaah,” Leo breathed out, rolling Michelangelo off him, “Honestly, I’d be more surprised if we won.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But! ….We were doing so well!” Raph looked genuinely upset at this, and Leo's face softened to deliver the news.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Brother of mine, I don’t fault you for getting your hopes up but Baron Draxum’s always been--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo bolted up from his horizontal position, eyes wide. “Shut up!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, rude--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Donnie??”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The trio, who were not supposed to be just a trio, paused as a moment of silence passed through before all of them bolted to their feet and ran to the Point of Impact--the last place they saw their brother.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He was thrown that way!” Leo yelled, pointing in the direction he remembered and leading them forward. Mikey stopped to pick something off the ground, a purple rectangle which somehow escaped the attack with a single crack to show for it, before running to catch up. They all kept an eye out as they ran the long distance between the Point of Impact to wherever Donnie ended up landing, hoping to catch sight of him, preferably conscious and walking to return to them. Mikey sucked in a breath as he investigated the chain link fence, now broken by impact, that Don undoubtedly sailed through and looked ahead at the broken brick wall.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That sound of air being pulled in through gritted teeth represented the collective thoughts of the remaining brothers.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After what felt like miles, they reached the rubble. Raph peered into the book store, careful of where he stepped, hoping to see his brother but willing to take on any remaining Foot, and his face dropped. Leo jumped onto his shell and peeked over his shoulder before his own shoulders dropped as well.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The wreckage continued in a straight path, and the other side of the book store had a hole in its wall as well. Donnie's momentum hadn't been slowed enough.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This is not good. They all thought, able to communicate that to each other through pained glances.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Donnie, you ok?” Leo called, jumping over Raph’s shoulder and running to the other hole. Mikey chased after him with a fragile “Dee?”. Raphael walked behind them, bracing himself for the state he may see his brother in, looking around occasionally at the few scattered pieces of paper pinned underneath bricks and books.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How is he?” He asked timidly when his youngest brothers stopped at the gaping hole, hurrying his steps when they did not respond to him. He stopped once he saw the scene, stunned.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“…He’s… not here.” Leonardo sounded like he forgot to breathe.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What--No, that’s--How far…?” They looked up at the near-vacant street and at a broken-down, likely abandoned, car with a massive dent in the side. And a fresh stain that didn't match the blue Volkswagen. Still no Donatello.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They sprinted to the car, splitting up and circling it. “Donnie?!” “Dee, can you hear us?!” “Where’d you go, genius??”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No answer.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, split up, check in every 15. Maybe…He might’ve gone off somewhere safe, he couldn’t’ve gotten far.” Leo commanded, ignoring the thoughts of Donnie would’ve hated that conjunction.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They all nodded and separated. Raphael tried to keep his panic at bay. He told me to cover him. He told me to watch out for him. “Where are you, ‘tello??”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Draxum returned to his recently acquired teammates, he glowered at their stationary and casual forms.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you standing around for? We have the armor, let’s--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” The Lieutenant rasped as he glared back at Draxum for his haste, holding an odd yet familiar staff. “We found something else.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Errr, actually, he found us.” The Brute spoke up, rubbing his bruised, dusty, shoulder. He held up a lanky, unconscious, turtle with a bloodied purple bandana, holding onto him by his dented matching shell. He was equally covered in dust and dirt and his cracked goggles had fallen to cling around his neck, barely holding on. “Poor kid crashed through the wall ‘n right into me. And through another wall. And a car.” He cracked his aching neck. “My horoscope warned me of traffic today.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I TOLD him to leave the turtle and go--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s so young, Boss!” Brute jerkily and carelessly gestured using Don’s limp, dangling body.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You beat them up on a weekly basis--we all do!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well yeah, but that’s when they’re being little—”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“ENOUGH.” Draxum roared, Huginn and Muninn fluttering off his shoulders in surprise. The teen startled awake, bleary-eyed and confused. The Brute held him between all of them, muscles tensed for an attack.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Who--Wha?” He glanced around fitfully, eyes unable to focus on anything, “Wha’s goi’non? Where…” He could feel himself rapidly falling back into unconsciousness as his vision became more and more spotty. As he drifted off, his tunnel vision was able to focus on the face in front of him, and Draxum stared down at him, eyes slightly widened in fascination as he watched the struggle. “Huh….? Dad…. help…” Don weakly reached out toward him before going limp.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The five of them stared in confusion for a moment before Huginn and Muninn began cackling and Brute’s shoulders relaxed. Draxum raised an eyebrow at his limp creation before glaring up at his laughing employees.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh that’s golden, Boss! The kid’s totally out of it!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss, hey Boss, he’s right though--By human’s logic, you’re kind of his Dad!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh I love the drama! Deranged father reunites with son, 13 years after losing the kids in the divorce.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Their laughter was cut short as an unamused fist backhanded into them, sending them into the wall next to them. Draxum narrowed his eyes at the turtle, his brain forming an idea.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, you’re related to those turtles?” The Lieutenant perked up with interest.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I created them as warriors.” Draxum leaned down to be eye-level to the unconscious creation, watching a bead of blood drip down his temple. “They slipped away from me and grew unassuming of their destiny. This one…” He narrowed his eyes as he recalled being caught off guard by an explosion, “is crafty…” His eyes wandered to the tech bō in the Lieutenant’s hands. “…Smart.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This guy? Yeah he’s kind of the brains of their operation.” Brute agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh-ho-ho,” Muginn flew back to Draxum’s shoulder, “Boss! Y'all schemin’, I can see it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you gonna do what we think you’re gonna do?” Huginn returned to the other shoulder, poking his cheek with a tiny elbow, “Daddy-O?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A bright magenta portal opened next to them as Draxum took Donnie’s body from the Brute’s hand, carelessly draping him across his forearm like a towel, and stepped through the portal with no further comment.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, I’m here!” A breathless April hopped off her bike and plucked her otherworldly pet from the basket. “I came here as fast as I could, I picked up Mayhem on the way!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“April’s here!” Raphael announced into the speaker of the phone he held.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, she’s already off of work? What time--” Leo’s voice sounded breathless.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I quit, I wasn’t gonna serve coffee and pretend like everything's ok--this is more important!” April exclaimed into the speaker, turning to mumble “Pay was shit anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the best, April!” Mikey cheered.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. So,” April turned to Raphael, just as anxious as the rest of them, “bring me up to speed. Don’s hurt and no one can find him? Where have we looked?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph sighed and listed all the places they’ve cleared, explaining to her that they had started at the Point of Gone-atello (the heavily dented car) and worked their way outwards. Every nearby alley, rooftop, and fire escape within a certain radius had been cleared. Raphael and Leonardo planned to widen their radius while Michelangelo, now joined by April and Mayhem, were double-checking the previously cleared areas and focusing on small, hard to see places.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t get it, why would Donnie hide from you guys?” April asked Michelangelo as they looked in a dumpster and under a car. Mayhem teleported to and from nearby vacant balconies and fire escapes, skittering around for turtles or clues.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know--Leon thinks maybe he was focused more on getting somewhere safe, than on getting back to the fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Donnie would never just leave--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s hurt real bad, April.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>April stopped and looked at the youngest turtle as Mayhem teleported to his side, seemingly sensing the despair, and pushed their head towards Mikey’s hand. The poor kid looked miserable; his mask of optimism finally cracking. Even with his baby-faced appearance and upbeat attitude, it was easy to forget he was just a kid looking for signs that his big brother is alive.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It was that bad?” She asked gently, moving to sit down next to him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s tough, and he has that wicked cool Battle Shell, and he’s smart so he probably, I dunno, could math his way into a soft landing or something, but,” Mikey sighed, “he went through two walls and a car… There was blood, not a lot, just a little on the car but…Raph would be sore after that, and he’s all muscle and spikes! Donnie’s….he’s….”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey now,” April leaned against Mikey’s shaking shoulder, picking up a cooing Mayhem and placing him into Mikey’s lap, who immediately started petting him, “I know he’s…. Not like you and your brothers, but you said so yourself, he’s tough! And he has his tactical nerd backpack! I’ve seen that thing take major hits, it’s as close to a perfect invention as Donnie’s ever gotten!" She lightly fist-bumped his shoulder. "Don’t tell that egomaniac I said that.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey wetly chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Plus,” April continued, “We know he’s not… y’know, because he wasn’t at the Gone-atello car. So, he’s out there! If there’s one thing I learned from drama TV, it’s ‘Assume Nothing Until You See It For Yourself’.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What does that mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>April stood up and offered a hand to Mikey, “It means we can’t give up on Donnie just because we can’t see him. Now c’mon, I’m good at talking, but I’m better at doing.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The search party of five lasted until 4 am, when curtains began to get drawn and cars driving to early shifts or from late shifts began to enter the streets. April and Mayhem returned home, the spunky girl promising to keep a look out when she could and keep an eye on social media for any mutant turtle sightings. And to call if any of them needed to talk, or just needed her to send them cute pictures of Mayhem in baby clothes.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The important detail was: Only three turtles came home.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The trio of brothers begrudgingly returned to the sewers, convinced only by the speculation that Don might have retreated underground. However, they could not begin their underground search immediately. Their father gets worried--in his own ways--when they’re out all night, and failing to return by dawn would get them all in trouble whether they were present or not.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>None of them were looking forward to admitting their failures to their father.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“There you boys are! You told me you wouldn't be out past--Why the long faces?” Splinter began his speech with a strong, scolding voice only to taper into confusion at the end. His sons only returned like this after missions gone wrong, not on days that they had plans for. They made a schedule and everything, he heard all about it from-- “Wait a minute…” His boys seemed to flinch as he did a head count, “Where is Purple?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael stepped forward, his head bowed as he represented his team. “We got caught up in a fight and… He got hurt, Pops, and we can’t find him.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve been looking for hours…” Mikey supported.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We think maybe he’s in the sewers, we’re about to go look.” Leo finished.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinters eyes widened in worry for a moment before he schooled his expressions back. “Purple is smart, I am sure he is alright and looking for us. I will join you—“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, if Donnie makes it back before we do, someone’ll need to be here.” Leo interrupted. “Especially if he’s hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, of course.” Splinter gritted his teeth. His son was hurt and missing and he was just going to sit at home and wait? He felt… gross about that--Useless. “Isn’t the point of your phones to be used to contact??”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We have his phone.” Mikey said sadly, holding it out for his father to take. “He was using it and dropped it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He…. dropped…?” Splinter looked at the crack in the screen and felt his stomach drop. Out of all of his sons, Donatello coveted his phone the most. Sure, it wasn’t as important to him as his tech bō, but he relied on it enough to avoid dropping it as much as he could. Being both a teenager and a ninja made that difficult. Using this information, Splinter was able to deduce a general idea of what happened: his son was attacked. Likely singled out, and struck down. And his brothers lost sight of him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re just gonna grab a bite and continue the look, Dad.” Raphael said, him and his brothers already stepping towards the kitchen, “Call us if Don gets here before us.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“......Very well.” Splinter sighed as his sons exited earshot. He looked down at the locked phone in his hands, feeling the first stage of grief setting into his ribs. “You’re still out there, Donatello. But where? You must be okay…</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You <em>must</em>.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Alright everyone sees where this is going. It's time to weaponize fatherhood.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Three Birds + One Stone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things that Missions and Family Reunions have in common:</p><p>They don't always go the way you want them to.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When the boys returned with nothing to show for it except exhaustion on all of their faces at 2 pm, Splinter shooed them all to food and bed while he continued the search himself. April continued looking topside after her classes got out, but found nothing. Their schedule of searching continued, and before they knew it, days had passed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In a city currently being plagued by mutant villains, human villains, and overall weird mishappenings, their searches were often interrupted.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>(“Wait a minute… one, two, three… where’s the funny one?” One of the villains of the week--Hypno--asked curiously, holding disks of sharp metal in the air around him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’know I’m hurt that no one seems to think I’m the funny one.” Leo had complained, his smile strained, “Donnie gets to be the smart one, I want to be the funny one! He can’t have both, that’s not fair!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Not now, Leo!” Raph had scolded.)</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That wasn’t the first time the missing turtle was pointed out to them, though it was the first time a villain noticed. The first time someone drew attention to the missing brother was when they stopped for a break mid-search at Señor Huesos’ and the skeleton absentmindedly mentioned that they accidentally ordered for the Purple one, who was not present. He apologized when Leo took it upon himself to explain why those words made his brother’s faces fall so fast. Even now, they tried to ignore how the occasional questioning still stung. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After days of hopelessness, sleepless nights, and one heated argument, they postponed a mission of Operation: Missing Brother for the first time. They got a lead from April, who had gotten grounded for quitting her job and lying about it, about the Foot Clan being spotted in an abandoned business complex. None of them wanted to cancel their search; none of them really cared about the Foot getting what they came for, compared to how much they cared about finding their brother. But, in the end, moral responsibility to the many outweighed their personal responsibility to the few--but not by much. Another reference they’ve made that Donnie would’ve loved. Mikey had to stop making a tally of those moments for his own sanity.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them ducked into the shadows as they scoped the area around the complex. Usually this was the type of thing Donnie would do research on so they could spend more time punching, but…</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Right.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, April said this place has been empty for </span>
  <em>
    <span>eons</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Like, since 2015.” Mikey read from a text message on his phone “Parts of it collapsed recently and they’ve been talking about tearing it down for a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How does a building like that stay abandoned for so long around here?” Leo asked, raising an eyeridge.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know bro, I’m just reading a text!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell April thanks for the Intel.” Raphael said before switching to his Leader Pose--hands on his hips and the wind fluttering through his worn bandana tails. “Alright Team, if we get this done quick with no injuries, maybe we can take a pizza break and continue our Main Mission.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nobody needed clarification on what that was.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we should go full stealth. I don’t want to be here any longer than we have to. We find the armor shard before they do and skedaddle out, they’ll never know.” Leo said confidently, earning a nod from Raph.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, sounds good. But I don’t want us to split up… We should stick together.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think any of us wants to split up right now, bro.” Mikey said gravely, a nervous smile on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok, good! So, get in, be ninjas, get the… thing. Get out. Easy!” Raph smiled and held a hand out. “Baby chain!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nonononono, Raph,” Leo started as Mikey groaned, “We are not baby chaining, we haven’t had to do that since we were tots! How would we even get around with both of our hands taken?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like a good team-building--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No! No more team building exercises!” Leo had worked himself into a fit and for a moment he looked like Don having one of his conniptions. Raphael found himself missing him more.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, no baby chain, but we gotta stick close to each other!” Raph relented, leading them off the roof and into the building through the collapsed side.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeesh, this place is a dump. And we hang out in dumps.” Leo commented upon landing.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh!” Raph whispered, “Stealth mode!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Together, they creeped through the hallway and around the corner. Leo opened his mouth to mention that maybe one of them should’ve learned how to use Donnie’s tech to track the artifact in his temporary absence, but Mikey slapped his hand over his mouth at the sound of Foot...footsteps padding down the hallway in front of them. Raph turned them around to take them the opposite way and instinctively slapped a hand over Mikey’s mouth at the sight of shadows creeping around the corner that way too. They were effectively surrounded, and seconds away from detection.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The three of them glanced around wildly for an exit of any kind, panicking as the milliseconds went by. In a flurry of motion, Mikey jumped into a gap in the ceiling and clung to water pipes and support beams, Raph tested the doorknob of a nearby door and eventually used raw strength to break the lock on it before he ran in, and Leo opened a portal and jumped inside in the same fluid motion.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Follow me!” They all whispered, unaware that they had unwittingly split up.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael hid into the shadows of the small conference room he broke into, waiting until the unsuspecting Foot recruits passed by. He caught a bit of their conversation: a riveting debate on whipped cream versus sprinkles. He waited until their voices had completely faded, letting out a breath and releasing the tension built up by hiding, essentially collapsing onto the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Good work, guys! I didn’t even see you!” He whispered, “Mikey, you’ve been practicing your Ninja Mode?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok guys, not funny, really would appreciate getting a head count on all of my brothers.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys I mean it! You know I get weird when I’m alone you don’t WANT me getting WEIRD on you here!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Alone.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael stumbled to his feet and ran into the hallway, finding only vacancy. He could feel himself start to sweat with anxiety as he slowly walked through the hallways, keeping to the darkness while also trying to keep an eye out for any of his brothers that may save him from insanity.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Brothers. Alone. In enemy lines. One missing, two left. Donnie disappeared because he was alone, and now, I am alone. Walls, too close.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Raphael’s thoughts continued to spiral, flipping between his loneliness and his grief.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He could hear the wind calling his name.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s starting… things starting to blur…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He jumped as he saw more shadows walking toward him and he thought he heard movement behind him. His anxiety was clouding his mind, making the shadows seem bigger and the wind continued to whisper his name.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What do I do what do I do what… do… Raph…!” He whispered to himself, his hands bracing against his head.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Light flickered from below him and he noticed he couldn’t feel the floor anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh, that’s a new symptom.” He thought aloud before glancing down, barely registering the bright blue portal under him before gravity pulled him through it. He yelled out on instinct, but by the time anyone nearby could come into the hallway he, and the portal, were gone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He tumbled out of the portal dimension and onto a concrete surface, on his back and eyes wide as he looked up at the stars.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Too much space TOO MUCH SPA--</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Buddy?? You okay??” A green, red, and blue face entered his view, peering down at him with equal anxiety.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Leo!” Raph bolted upright and glanced around. Not alone anymore, brothers located, he was on the roof of the building he was just in, he wasn’t going to get weird.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Bro, you don’t know how happy I am to see you!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I have an idea.” Raph replied shakily, bringing his brothers in for a bear hug. His brothers…plural… He grasped around for a turtle that wasn't there. “Wait, where’s Mikey? You had ‘em right?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No… I thought he was with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Their eyes met and they quickly got started on Operation: Missing Brother Two. They both hoped they’d stop having to use that title.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey was doing just fine on his own, also aware of the dangers he could face alone. He stuck to the shadows and hid in the ceiling when needed, though he had a close call when he lost his grip on the pipes above and broke through the overheard tiles, landing harshly onto the ground. Luck was on his side, and the soldier he was evading was engrossed in a true crime podcast and none the wiser. Either way, Mikey thought his father would be proud of his rat-like skittering. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He scrambled to the wall and sidled around the corner, jumping to the next hallway and sliding to the next corner. He contemplated the possibility of having been going in circles this whole time before he immediately denied it, unaware that he was using denial to cope. He peeked around the next corner and his heart stopped at the sight.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A lanky turtle with a purple bandana, alive and well, though his goggles were now resting on his collarbone and his clothes and Battle Shell looked a little worse for wear. He was clearly sneaking around as well, peeking around his own corner with his back to Michelangelo.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Donnie?” Mikey whisper-gasped, trying very hard not to start crying and yelling in relief. A joyful smile broke across his face and he giddily started to run to his brother and give him the biggest I-missed-you-hug he would ever likely muster. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He missed the sound of the portal opening behind him and was yanked back by his shell before he could start forward, yelping as he hit the concrete ground on the other side of the closing portal. He, and the portal, was gone before the missing brother even turned around. He landed on his back with an “oof” and looked up at the stars. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Michael, you ok?” Leo’s face looked down at him with Raph close behind.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“DONNIE!” Mikey exclaimed helplessly at the air he had portaled from.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhhh, no, buddy, it’s Leon. Quick, how many Raphs do you see???”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not you!!! I saw him! Donnie’s here, I saw him!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What???” Raph shoved Leo's face to the side, leaning into Mikey’s personal space with urgency. “You saw Don? Where, how?? Is he okay???”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s stealthing around, just like us!” Mikey replied, his voice a mix of happy and distraught. “I didn’t get to talk to him, but I think he’s here because of the news too!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo shoved Raph’s face away from Mikey’s only to replace it with his own, “Wait, why would he come here but not come home? It doesn’t make any sense! Are you sure?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Raph grabbed Leo’s shoulder and pulled them both out of Mikey’s personal space, his shoulders tense in defense. “If Mikey says he saw Donnie, then he saw Donnie.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I believe him, I do!” Leo put his hands up in mock surrender, “I’m just saying it doesn’t really make sense for him to be here. What if he’s in trouble and that’s why he never came home? Maybe we should be careful with this.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph growled in annoyance and let go of both his brother and his misplaced anger. “Right, careful. We can do that. Alright, team.” Leo and Mikey’s serious faces immediately met his, “We find Don first, keep an eye out for the armor piece in the meantime, then maybe we can kick the Foot into next Tuesday as celebration.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean, we gotta, wait for it, give them, the foot?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That was bad, man.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And then celebratory family pizza?” Mikey asked, full of hope.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Naturally!” The idea of having the whole family back together again after days of wondering and wandering visibly boosted their morale more than any other kind of pizza could. They were going to reunite with their brother, tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello sighed in disappointment as he deemed this room a bust as well sneaking back into the hallway and closing the door as silently as he could. He couldn’t afford to get caught, not now after he had gotten so far. Although at this point he was seriously starting to doubt the artifact was actually in this maze of a building. He turned to return to sneaking around to the next room on his map that he had recreated onto his tech bō, looking up and stiffening as he spotted strangers down the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Strangers who looked a lot like him, and were looking right at him, pointing at him. He found himself wishing it had been the weird Foot people instead, or even his father. One of the figures slashed a sword in the air, creating some kind of portal out of thin air and Donatello readied his bō and battle stance. If these strangers could create portals from nothing, the boy genius could only assume they were highly skilled enemies of the Foot and, by extension, his father. A second portal, which Donatello guessed to be the exit portal, appeared right in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe he should’ve stayed home.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The blue one jumped through first, probably to take advantage of his scientific admiration of the portal, but Donatello was vigilant. As Blue emerged from the portal, a hand outreached, Donatello activated the transforming mechanic of his bō, one end becoming a hammer. With all of his strength he swatted at the intruder like a game of baseball, sending him down the hallway perpendicular to them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeahh…..good to see you too, dude.” He groaned as he landed, but Donatello paid no mind to him, readying for the next attack.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph’s happy stance fell slightly as they watched one of their brothers get physically deflected by their other brother, days after being missing. Sure, Don was the master at emotional deflection, and sometimes physical, but THAT was just…..out of character, Raph felt. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… weird… something’s not right.” He thought aloud, reaching for Mikey.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, I think he’s just on edge. Look at where we are--we’re all on edge.” Mikey smiled and jumped through the portal, immediately ducking under Don’s weapon and opening his arms for a hug. “We finally found you!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Don stopped his assault, having moved his hammer into an overhead downward swing position but freezing the moment he heard Orange’s voice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Geez, how young was this kid? And his Dad’s friends made fun of his age!</span>
  </em>
  <span> He tensed as he realized that was probably the point--send the kid to get his guard down then follow up with Big Red. He looked back up and noticed the last member was lunging through the portal and he instinctively swung down with a frightened yell.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph caught the hammer with his hand before it could even get close to Mikey, having noticed Don’s uncharacteristic fear in his eyes, which were now meeting his. Donnie struggled to pull his weapon back and Raph tightened his grip and took a breath to ask the question on everyone’s minds. Leo squeaked and started running back over to the group, followed closely by a gruff “Over there! Get him!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Incoming, guys!” Leo announced as he stylishly slid to his brothers, complete with full pose. Not that anyone noticed because Donatello twisted the handle of his bō and another hammer-like mechanism emerged from the opposite end, rockets flared to life and the bō staff twisted on its own, flipping Raph’s entire body with it with a thud and an “ow”.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo and Mikey looked between the fallen Raph and their definitely not normal Donnie nervously. Don caught the bō and deactivated the rockets before brandishing the normal bō staff at them and blocking their retreat, glaring at them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wh-What’s going on?” Leo finally asked the number one question.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Donnie?” Mikey asked, tears glossing his eyes against his will. He always tried to be tough, but he was just a kid who had spent the last couple days not knowing if his own brother was alive and then just witnessed said brother actually attack his other brothers. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello’s eyes widened at the kid’s voice. He sounded like he was going to cry. And just as alarming, he thought maybe the kid knew him. All three of them must’ve known him--he’s aware that Donatello is a multi-syllable, Renaissance name so he could only guess that they were calling him by some kind of shorthand nickname.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But he still couldn’t recall any of them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He should’ve stayed home. Maybe he wasn’t ready after all.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The ground beneath them cracked and through the chasm a purple vine separated Donatello from the intruders. He immediately looked over his shoulder guiltily, seeing Draxum’s silhouette down the hallway. The intruders visibly panicked.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Draxum!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Get away from—“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Heeeeeeyyyyyyy…...Dad, how’s it—uhh how’s it going, hm?” Donatello casually greeted, leaning against his staff and trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment of stunned and anticipated silence before the trio exploded with yelling.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“WHAT—“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“DID YOU JUST—“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“NO WAY, NO WAAAY—“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie shot them a confused glance before the pink vine shifted to pick him up and deposit him next to the looming sheep man. Donatello sent him another panicked and guilty face before looking around in stock surprise and wonder.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, dear me.” He deadpanned, “This is not my room. I must’ve tripped, and accidentally left the castle, and lost my way, and ended up here. What a strange and unplanned scene of events, nailed it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum narrowed his eyes at the turtle before flicking over to the surprised and still yelling other three turtles. He grabbed their brother’s shoulder and smirked evilly at the pitiful faces of his enemies.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We will discuss this, Son, when I’m finished with the unwanted company.” Donatello looked disappointed that his skillful grade A acting failed to fool his father, but nodded. Draxum pointed a finger at the intruders and commanded the Foot soldiers politely waiting for them to recover from the drama to attack.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The three turtles immediately turned to defend themselves, and Donatello couldn’t help but be curious about the group.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, Father,” He glanced up at Draxum to make sure he was listening, “who are those guys?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He thought he saw the Blue one look at him with some mix of grief and horror, but he quickly averted his eyes back to his father. Draxum was watching the fight with a calculating, scientific eye.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“They are not worth your time, child.” He turned to leave, guiding his son to walk beside him, “Just some thorns that need cutting.” Draxum summoned a bright magenta portal.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what about the mission? I can help, I—“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The mission was a bust. There’s nothing here.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” With that, Donatello disappeared through the portal.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>View this amazing scene Purple-Turble on Tumblr drew based on this chapter:<br/>https://purble-turble.tumblr.com/post/620950834547769344/a-scene-from-the-fanfiction-one-two-three-four</p><p>I hope my name jumping depending on perspective isn't too confusing. It's going to be pushed a lot in the brothers' scenes together.</p><p>Also I feel bad about the lacking of the April so far, but if I had a track record at 16 of getting fired from every job I had and then I quit one, I would've been in major trouble.</p><p>Also also y'all're the sweetest people, you know that? Thank you much for the kind words!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Turning Purple</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Obligatory flashback chapter.</p><p>A lone brother wakes. For some reason, he feels alone.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The first time Donatello woke up, he did so in an unfamiliar room with an admittedly good color scheme. He had felt sore and was convinced his brain was trying to escape through his skull. His thoughts had been terribly abstract, unable to settle on one thing, but it tried so desperately to recall what put him in this state.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had sat up groggily and clamped his hands onto the gurney-like surface he laid on as the whole room spun. He muttered incomprehensibly as he heard a deep, commanding voice that he couldn’t for the life of him focus on; his brain felt like uncooked scrambled eggs. The comparison made him nauseous and he must’ve thrown up because all of a sudden he felt sore and exhausted, and he collapsed back onto the gurney. In the void of his consciousness, he heard and comprehended more voices.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Kids, right? Always leaking.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Quick, Dad, perfect your bedside manner!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Both of you clean this up, Now.” The no-nonsense voice replied shortly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The second time Donatello woke up, a round black creature with wings threw a plastic gallon bucket at him as he gently sat up. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Rude,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Don thought as it bounced uselessly off his shoulder. He looked back up at the creature and blinked sleepily at it, racking his brain for information he couldn’t find. He found he couldn’t move his right arm and looked down to see it was handcuffed to the cot with glowing magenta energy.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Where am I, what’s going on?” He mumbled, realizing he still had a headache.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, good you’re lucid!” The creature rejoiced, “Hey, Huginn, go get Boss!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Who-” Donatello started.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What, what's up?” Another black creature appeared. “Oh, hey the kid’s up! Welcome back, did you puke on Muninn again?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha--N...No?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw… can you?” Huginn asked, folding his tiny hands and ignoring Muninn’s outburst.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on, who are you? Where am I?” The turtle asked, distressed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The two creatures glanced at each other and smiled at each other for a split second before Huginn fluttered away. Muninn landed on the gurney-like bed Donatello occupied and Don tucked his stiff-feeling legs closer to himself instinctively.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax, kid, you’re safe. You know me.” Muninn nodded at Donatello’s raised eyebrows, which were lacking in their usual drawn-on appearance since Donatello’s entire bandana had been replaced by bandages some time ago. “Ok ok, first thing’s first… what do you remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Don concentrated, trying to think back on...anything. Anything that happened to him or any memory he could hold onto, but they all escaped him and he began to panic. Muninn startled at his darting eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok, ok, how about this: Your name?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“D-Donatello, I was named after the artist who made bronze sculpture.” He recited almost automatically.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? Heh, nerd.” Muninn mumbled to himself before clearing his throat. “Yeah, ok, yeah, right, Donatello, exactly! Do you know who I am?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello narrowed his eyes, “You look like a gargoyle.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, thanks kid, but you don’t remember me? Or Huginn?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello shook his head after a moment of thinking, leaning his chin on top of his knees.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Muninn continued, “You really hit your head hard back there. I just…” He put a paw to his chest and seemed to sob, “I just don’t know how your father’s going to react…”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie perked up, his back straightening as he watched the creature wipe at his eyes, “Father?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Muninn fanned himself, “He was so worried when we found you--you were really out of it. Still recognized him, though, so we were hopeful…”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I…” Donatello paused, looking around with his eyes and trying desperately to remember anything, “I can’t recall…. I…”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re awake.” A deeper voice sounded, bouncing off the walls.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello felt himself startle at the voice as Muninn fluttered off his bed and turned to the source. Donatello looked over his shoulder at the tall Yokai with Huginn now resting on his shoulder, keeping his worried expression under wraps for the most part.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Boss! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Donatello</span>
  </em>
  <span> is up! Weren’t you just wracked with </span>
  <em>
    <span>worry</span>
  </em>
  <span>??” Muninn greeted, putting an odd amount of emphasis on “Donatello” and “worry”. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello was too busy absorbing as much information about the odd tall goat man to notice. He found that he recognized him—he couldn’t place why or where, but he knew that he knew this man. Amnesia it is, Donatello thought. Why else would he struggle to identify what was apparently his father? Don turned around fully in his cot, keeping his legs tucked in close to his body for comfort equal parts physical and emotional. Muninn flew to the Yokai’s other shoulder, patting it with his tiny paws.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Now Boss, you might wanna sit down, because your </span>
  <em>
    <span>son</span>
  </em>
  <span> doesn’t remember anything. ” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Will you shut up about--” A pause, “...nothing?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Both Huginn and Muninn nodded, eerily smiling. Donatello tucked his chin between his knees and chest, peering up at them nervously. He couldn’t help feeling subconsciously intimidated by the colorful goat man for reasons he didn’t know. But he kept himself calm and attentive as he was examined.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t remember me.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello winced, “No, I… I don’t…”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The man hummed and scratched his chin before walking closer, bending down slightly to examine him further. Donatello instinctively leaned back and tried to calm his nerves, working on convincing himself of his safety. Once satisfied with whatever he was looking for, the man straightened back up.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well. How… unfortunate. Memory loss was expected, however the extent of such was unknown… I am Baron Draxum. Your…” He paused and seemed to grit his teeth, “...guardian.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello nodded and tried to smile up at his apparently emotionally constipated “Guardian”, showing more of a grimace than a smile. He felt relieved that he wasn’t expected to have a heart-to-heart with his father anytime soon, as he is also a bit emotionally constipated himself--he can see now where he must get it from. Admittedly, he also felt oddly disappointed that the news wasn’t as shocking to anyone else as it was for him to awake with nothing more than an idea of an identity.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum spared a glance to his gargoyle pets, one leaning in to whisper something in his ear which resulted in him lightly batting said gargoyle off his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You took a hit on a mission. We found you and brought you… home.” He stiffly responded as he touched the glowing handcuff attached to Donatello’s wrist, willing it away. “We were unsure how you would react.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh... Thanks.” Don said, rubbing his wrist. “I… I had…” He squinted his eyes to try to manifest knowledge to his brain and winced when all he did was worsen his headache. He stopped his efforts in surprise when he felt a large hand rest upon his head.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Do not try to force your memories back. You are in familiar territory; they will return on their own.” The hand left and a cloth fell from his scalp and into his awaiting hands; he looked down at it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...This ...this is mine!” Donatello exclaimed, holding up the purple bandana. It was a little rough around the edges now due to whatever it was he went through; some stitches held holes closed without roughing the nice material too much, like the new slash on one of the eyebrows. But it was his, there was no doubt about it. He knew it instinctively, like he knew his name.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you’ll find that nearly all of your belongings are that color, for some reason.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, it's my favorite!” Donnie exclaimed in a kid-like manner, tugging on the bandana and feeling more like himself already, “Mysterious, intellectual, aristocratic, and royal. AND oh so pleasing to the eyes. Not to mention--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum looked to Muninn as his new “son” gushed about color, who shrugged and made a noncommittal noise. “Teenagers.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Color theory must be groovy now.” Huginn agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Color theory has always been.... important.” Draxum said, narrowing his eyes at the implication that such a concept was false.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“--Oh!” Donatello didn’t even notice he was being ignored and snapped his fingers as a thought occurred to him, “That’s right--I have a bō!” He looked up at Draxum, his body language totally different now that he’s rambled about something he’s passionate about. His legs were tucked underneath him now and he tended to talk with his hands, Draxum noticed. “Where is it? I need to make sure she didn’t take any damage.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum raised an eyebrow at the request, half expectant that Donatello would have forgotten about the lesser weapon. “I have an arsenal of mystical weapons with infinite power, you will never need to repair your tools here.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie made a face somewhere between distaste and defense, crossing his arms. “N-no, I… I like my bō. It’s the most technologically advanced melee weapon in the world, probably, and I much prefer it over fickle mystical powers. I..” He paused and cringed like he was in pain, “I CANNOT GO OFF-BRAND!” And then he cringed for real at the headache.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum only blinked at the dramatics and thought for a moment while Donatello looked up at him pleadingly. He briefly entertained denying him solely to teach him that whatever face the child was giving him would be ineffective on his decisions, but determined that his new side-kick would be easier to control if he were distracted by contentment. However, he ran the risk of the little stick having some kind of message about the other brothers somewhere in it. On the other hand, he would already have to look into the weird purple exo-shell the softshell always wore--he had decided to allow that to stay with the turtle given his weirdly natural expertise with it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...Very well, I will obtain your weapon and bring it to you when you are well.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel fine, I can go look at it now, I--oh.” Donatello had stood from the cot to follow Draxum when he turned away and soon found himself sitting on the floor as bouncing balls of light danced on the edges of his vision. He had felt kind of sore before, but the way the soreness intensified told him he did, in fact, take some kind of hit recently. Draxum growled slightly before manifesting a magenta vine to lift the woozy turtle off the ground and deposited him back onto the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don't be a fool, you can see to it when you can stand. For now, rest.” Draxum turned again, fully expecting the turtle to obey.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, uh…” Donnie asked and Draxum looked over his shoulder and gave an uninterested gaze to him. At least Donatello was beginning to lay back down, he must still feel the effects of the concussion. “Why--I mean, do I have a room?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“N-” Two small hands belonging to two different gargoyles slapped over Draxum’s mouth and he sent them both a glare.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course you have a room, kid!” Muninn responded on Draxum’s behalf.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>weird</span>
  </em>
  <span> if you didn’t!” Huginn looked at Draxum with a wink.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum’s glare hardened and two vines emerged from the ground to swat both of his sentient shoulder pads away from his mouth. He flicked his long mane over his shoulder as he thought over their claims.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” He droned, “I will show you tomorrow, for now I will monitor you here.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok,” Donatello accepted, surprised when Draxum immediately turned back away and walked out of the room. “Uh, bye…. I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Huginn and Muninn watched a disappointed Donatello curl back up to sleep and met each other’s gazes again before flying after Draxum. They didn’t need to speak to know they were on the same page, though they loved to gossip so they spoke about it on the way back to Draxum’s shoulders anyway. The gist was as follows: Baron Draxum had no clue how to act like a father. Without this knowledge, the plan to “adopt” Donatello onto their team would fail quickly as the teen got more suspicious. So, Huginn and Muninn were on Mission: Fatherhood to support their beloved boss and his forcibly obtained new son.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Objective one: They helped Baron Draxum clean out an old unused storage room. This had been a momentary struggle since Draxum had fully planned to throw a bed into a cleaned out cage and call it a day.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon Boss, even that cute little Foot recruit has her own room!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, fine!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go to the store and get a blanket--Pop Quiz: What’s his favorite color?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum was silent for a moment while he levitated some brooms he didn’t remember having, crushing them out of existence with a clench of his fists. Maybe this would be a good spring cleaning opportunity. He realized his minions were quiet and awaiting his answer to a question he didn’t realize was directed at him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....Just go get the brat his purple whatever the fuck you were talking about.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Correct answer but I gotta dock you points for the name calling.” Muninn flew out of the room before he could potentially get punished. Huginn quickly replaced him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Also, you should probably watch the language. I hear kids are like little sponges—”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s a teenager!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Still,--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell me how to lead my minions—”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean your son.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“--Don’t forget you work for me —”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A knock on the door frame took his attention away from his bloodthirsty fantasies on getting his meddlesome minions under control. The Foot Brute awkwardly peeked his head in.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I interrupting something?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. What do you want?” Draxum glowered but straightened his posture, fully attentive to his business partner.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, nothing, we haven’t found any more leads. Boss’s gonna snoop around for anything. But, I still have this.” Brute stepped into the room to show the odd technological bō staff Donatello had gushed about. “We can recycle it if you don’t want it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Leave it, the child has already requested it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re really goin’ through with this?” Brute commented as he tossed the bō to Draxum. “Why not just lock him up and be done? Force him to build whatever you want?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum considered changing his plans as he kicked aside a light cardboard box--he vaguely remembered it’s contents of old scarves--and crossed his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Minions are easier to manage than prisoners. Believe me.” He sharpened his glare as he recalled a certain prisoner who ruined his life’s work and took away his results. He was satisfied with the thought that now he was finally taking back what was stolen from him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Brute shrugged, “Do whatever you want, we’ll get in touch when we have another lead. That armor will be ours in no time, think the Purple one can make a doohickey to help?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum raised an eyebrow at the genuine question. “You have high expectations of the turtle…”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah, you nabbed the smart one, remember? At least, I think he’s the smart one? I dunno, they all kind of blur together when they’re swinging around like they do. At least they look kinda unique to each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum hummed as he examined the staff in his hand. It really was an impressive piece especially given the kid’s lackluster discipline and training, and his age. Not as impressive as raw mythical power of course, but perhaps in due time it could be honed or perhaps combined with mythical ability.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway,” Brute turned back to the door, “I gotta get back to the Boss, he doesn’t like it when I make him wait.” He left without a goodbye, which was exactly what Draxum preferred. They were not friends, Baron Draxum didn’t have friends. They were business partners, doing normal business partners things, like raising an unspeakable evil by reassembling the world’s most powerful puzzle.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss I’m back!” Muninn zoomed into the room and dropped a plush deep purple blanket onto the bed they had wheeled in once enough space had been cleared for it. “I also took this, Boss you’re gonna love this!” He dropped a book into Draxum’s other hand.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baron Draxum glared at the title; </span>
  <em>
    <span>What to Expect When You’re Raising a Teenager,</span>
  </em>
  <span> as his now least favorite minions snickered from their flights just above his shoulders. He clutched the book so hard the spine crumpled and left the room, tossing a “Clean this up!” over his shoulder and he went to inspect the bō in his lab.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He must’ve been too lax with his minions lately if they thought such jokes could be played on him. The kid was not his son, Baron Draxum was not going to play father. He was going to do the bare minimum required to gain trust and loyalty, that’s all he needed. Parenting books were jokes, he had fought real battles and he has earned true strength. How hard could it be to control a mere teenager?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>_________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, is… Dad going to… I dunno, drop by?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After Donatello had awoken and reconfirmed that he hadn’t suffered any lasting brain damage beyond memory loss, he was shown to his room by Huginn and Muninn. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’re still pretty wobbly right now—”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No, I’m--I’m fine.” Donatello hurriedly corrected, concentrating very hard on not stumbling even though he did feel slightly drunk even after sleeping another 6 hours.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“--But once you’re back in business, he’ll run some training by you!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, ok, yeah sounds good.” Donatello rubbed at his neck, for some reason feeling underdressed, despite hanging out with gargoyles that didn’t wear clothes at all. He couldn’t help but feel like his whole still-sore back was exposed--like he was missing something important to his character, but he was having a difficult time getting a solid grasp on what that could be.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I guess when you’re missing your entire character, everything feels like a lack of identity. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Donatello thought.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, kid, are you ready?” Huginn got his attention, flying in front of a purple curtain--which was actually more of a large rag or old blanket--attached to a door frame. “Ta-daaa!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Muninn and Huginn pulled back the curtain and Donatello walked into what he was told to be his room, looking around and waiting for some kind of deja-vu feeling. The room was mildly bland, but it did its job. There was a bed very similar to the cot he had recovered on with a couple pillows and a blanket--all purple. On the floor was a worn-looking grey rug and a faded half-deflated bean bag chair, beside the bed set a basic nightstand with a small purple lamp and a glass of water. The walls were mostly bare; there was a tall and thin mirror with a crack a fourth from the top, and an obviously aged poster of some old Battle Nexus match. There was a small, beat up wooden dresser on the other side of the small room where Muninn and Huginn had landed to rest their wings.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was a room, and it had Donatello’s signature color, but the expected feeling of familiarity, of home, was missing. Donatello tried not to let the disappointment show on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, guys. I think I’m gonna take a short rest,” Donnie sat on the bed, fluffing the pillows and bringing the blanket closer to himself, “try to recover back to full power and all--ohh soft.” He smiled and pet the plush blanket, as unfamiliar as it was it was very comforting to feel.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Good plan, kid, gotta take it easy.” Muninn nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We got one more thing for you, though.” Huginn knocked at the dresser. They had to get very creative when finishing Donatello’s room all on their own, and Huginn wasn’t about to pass up bringing attention to their efforts.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello raised his stitched eyebrow but stood back up anyway, pulling the blanket around him like a cloak and making his way to the dresser. The soft blanket surrounding him helped make him feel less agoraphobic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Am I agoraphobic? Will have to experiment... </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The black creatures flew off the dresser as he approached; he opened it and finally, </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally,</span>
  </em>
  <span> got that feeling of home. Inside was his gear--gloves, knee pads, elbow pads, belt--essentially everything minus the bandana he was returned earlier and the still-missing tech.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Thought you’d like your wardrobe back.” Huginn explained.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello shot them a genuine smile as a wordless thanks, shuffling through his minimal things for any additional clues as to the big puzzle he was currently solving: himself. His gloves were of a similar state of distress as his bandana—some rips here and there, the right glove especially, likely for where he attempted to break his fall. He pulled out his belt and examined for any hidden pockets, finding only a small tape measure and a collapsible pen. He sighed and resigned himself with the feeling of loss for another day when his eye fell on a pair of goggles with mismatched color lenses. A spiderweb crack resided in the blue lens.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Great Scott, I must’ve got hit hard to crack these. What happened to me, anyway?” Donatello turned to the mirror and busied himself with putting on his goggles where they normally reside, putting on the headphones and centering the goggles on his head.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Behind his back, Huginn and Muninn looked at each other and bit at their nails. Baron Draxum had yet to fall into his fatherhood role, much to the disappointment of the gargoyles who teased him about it constantly, so any plan of what the kid was allowed to know had yet to be discussed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ehhh, you’ll have to talk to Baron Draxum about that…” Huginn managed to reply before the silence got noticeable.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I would, if he were here.” Donnie saltily shot back, glaring at his reflection (and realized his right shoulder was quite bruised still) and feeling a good sulk coming on.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The gargoyles looked back at each other. Right. Teenager.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The Boss is very busy, he’ll come talk to you when he has the chance.” Huginn flew back to the dresser and looked up at Donatello.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Don didn’t reply to that, just crossed his arms and nodded. The action caused his goggles to slip down from his head and onto his face with an ease that was not intended. He mumbled an “ow” and took off the goggles. The goggles looked undamaged, ignoring the lens, but upon inspection Donatello could tell there was a fracture in the frame that would hinder them from staying on top of his head. He set them on top of the dresser and sighed, suddenly feeling tired.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Weeeee’ll, eh, let you rest, kid.” Huginn said as the joined Muginn’s side in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“M’not a kid.” Donatello argued, walking back to the bed and putting his bandana on the nightstand.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, how old are you?” Muginn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“.....15. Why are you laughing???”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello was given a day to get the tour of his own home, told the “ground rules” that he very much doubted were from his father given the commentary the gargoyles gave, and was given a lot of free time to contemplate the void in his head. After another day of much-needed rest, it was determined that Donatello was put into the clear for prolonged movement, though for reasons he did not yet understand, his father’s weird friends constantly fluttered around him. Sometimes together, and sometimes just one at a time. The teen tried to pretend like it was normal, because who was an amnesiac to say it wasn’t? But in all honestly Donatello felt as if he was being monitored.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t mind Huginn and Muninn, in fact having the company of creatures who give constant commentary helped the castle feel more like a home, but he did find the constant presence a little annoying. Weirdly enough, the annoyance also helped make the still-unfamiliar castle feel like a home. They were excellent hype men, though; Donatello found this out through constant stories of how great his Father Figure is and in the case when Donatello found a temporary fix for his broken goggles strap.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello stood in front of the mirror in his room, admiring the fix at work and scrutinizing the change. “Can I pull this look off? Be honest, guys.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The gargoyles, having gotten used to being ignored all day by both Draxum and Donatello (“Like father, like son!” they had commented) zoomed to the mirror to take a look, each fluttering over the turtle’s shoulders. The fix was simple: Donatello had ripped off the fabric of his tattered right glove, shortening it right above the wrist, and tied it to both sides of his goggles’ support. Since this still prevented the goggles from sitting on top of his head like headphones comfortably, he had decided to hang them around his neck now that the purple D.I.Y. strap would allow it to stay on his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was functional, of course--Don could quickly put the goggles on his face from his neck and they remained out of his way and not in some pocket--but were they still fashionable ?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh hey, looking good, Kiddo!” Huginn immediately complemented with no hesitation.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It looks great, Junior!” Muninn agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but what vibes do you get?” Donatello stressed, not yet satisfied with the consensus.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Muninn immediately had a response and spoke as if his words were obvious, “Bad boy meets functionality, for sure!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re geared up, but you’re casual about it. It’s edgy, but has none of that in-your-face-ness about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Also shows off the cracks, that’s what I call confidence!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Both Huginn and Muninn gave a thumbs up and Donatello smiled at the input. “Yes!! Thanks guys, that’s exactly what I needed to hear!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With that fixed, all Donatello needed now was his other, real tech.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The next day, which was two days after Donatello awoke to find himself the son of a familiar stranger, he was finally summoned by Baron Draxum.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum stood stoically in his lab, a rare lone gargoyle flying next to him, as he awaited his new minion’s return.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss I am just so excited for you! Fatherhood is a great achievement, and honestly? I really like this kid. You did good, Boss!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum sighed audibly as Huginn chattered.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But, really, Boss, I think the kid wants to spend time with you. Did you read that book--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I will not be reading any parenting books. You gargoyles are too quick to forget that--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss, you are literally the greatest organism to walk the Earth, you know we’re your biggest fans. But the kid’s going through a lot, and he could really use a--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If you dare say ‘role model’ I’m firing both of you and replacing you with pugs.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhhhhh, I just think you two would really get along is all, Boss! Honest! Do you even remember his name?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Knowing Jitsu, it was probably a mere label--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Your son’s name is Donatello, Boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum growled but ceased his bickering with his minion as his other two minions walked into the room. Muginn was loudly boasting about how great Draxum was to Donatello, who just looked bored but perked up slightly when he saw his so-called father in the room. Draxum was slightly pleased at the hint of anxiety he was getting from the turtle--serves him right--but remained as unthreatening as possible to calm the kid.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You are readjusting well, I take it?” Draxum began the conversation as if he were not just talking about the turtle in question.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Donatello hesitated, scratching at his arm, “Y-yeah… I don’t have any changes in the… memory parts, but I think I’ve memorized the layout of the place.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum raised an eyebrow. “My castle is far larger than one could memorize in a day.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello shrugged, seeming unimpressed with the claim, “It took two and a half tours but I think I can manage. Maybe my memory is coming back and I haven’t realized yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum nodded to pretend to agree, but in his head he couldn’t help but be impressed with the teenager’s claim. Hopefully his strong memory wouldn’t pick up his real memories anytime soon.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well. Since you have recovered, you may have these back.” Draxum held out the promised bō staff in one hand and a dented purple shell in the other, both free from tracking and sending messages as per the tech genius Yokai he hired for the job.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie’s entire being immediately lit up at the beautiful sight of his belongings, he immediately recognized his battle shell as if he had never forgotten it’s existence and ran to collect his things, grabbing and putting on the shell first. He visibly relaxed once the pads on his shoulders finished securing with a soft fwssh. Finally, as if he had put on a security blanket he could feel like himself again and he sighed in relief.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing. In truth, he had been none the wiser about how much the varied species differed from each other after mutation until he had the purple one recovering in his lab. He was of course aware that they were not of the same litter, he picked them after all, but uncovering Donatello’s biological shell from the protective exo-shell did end up surprising him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Had Baron Draxum kept ownership of the turtles, he likely would’ve considered the softshell a failure early on--an imperfection compared to the others. And yet the first time they met since the fire, the assumed weakest one was the one to physically fight him head-on. And he was the one to snipe him with an explosive laser cannon while he was distracted. Obviously, this one was used to adaptation--an important skill for a warrior to have.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You built both of these.” Draxum said the question in a factual tone as he handed the bō to Donatello.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, they’re my best work no doubt.” Donnie smiled as he bragged but after a moment his face faltered, “I mean, I guess they’re the only things I remember making…. They might be my only work?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Erm, yes they’re the only tools I have seen other than your goggles. Impressive machines and highly versatile.” Draxum replied to the implied question, keeping his voice even to will away any doubt Donatello may have. Given the technical skill required to make those two items plus the goggles (in addition to the high-tech vambrace Draxum confiscated and decided not to return), Draxum found it unlikely that this untrained child would have that many more works of the same level, if any. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello didn’t catch any seeds of doubt, hyper focusing on praise instead of the hesitation in the answer. He looked up at Draxum with literal stars in his eyes. “You really think they’re impressive?? Better than mystical weapons??”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So the subject responds well to praise… Draxum filed that away for future use. “Yokai weapons have their own strengths and wide range of possibilities.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But can they do THIS? ” Donnie, with a spark in his eye and a manic smile, pressed a few buttons and multiple tools emerged from the thin staff, including but not limited to: scissors, screwdrivers, knives of various sizes, disco ball, chainsaw, blowtorch, and a fire extinguisher.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum once again wondered how the teen figured out how to fit all of those additions into his bō without resorting to traditional Yokai methods. “The Yokai multi-tool perhaps… however adapting it would be near impossible for the common mystic user.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello smiled victoriously. “I could add whatever I wanted to this baby.” He flipped it easily in his hands and restored it back to its staff appearance. “Probably. I can’t remember. But advanced robotics and engineering is like riding a bike, right? ….Can I ride a bike? I don’t feel like I can… Bad analogy.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum took a moment to observe his new subject as said subject expertly checked over his prized weapon. Draxum could tell that contrary to the kid’s lack of training, he had an expert eye for his mechanics. It could be due to the fact that Donatello made his bō himself, so therefore it was natural for him to pick back up his complicated weapon like it was nothing, but for some reason Draxum believed the turtle’s confident claims in his trade. Perhaps the Foot Brute was correct, he found a valuable ally in the softshell turtle.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“If you think you are capable, I can think of a few new projects that can be used on the field.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Gasp,” Donatello said, for some reason, “Of course I am capable, I’ve been sitting around too long. I want to feel like myself again!” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum smiled. “Perfect.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A few days had passed as Donatello continued to get used to what he believed to be his old life. Draxum had pitched in some simple concepts—small bombs, a simple monitoring system with a couple of cameras—things he could easily accomplish on his own with his own science but allowed Donatello the opportunity to pass the test he didn’t know he was taking.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum’s plan was simple: train Donatello in his strength to maximize his potential in their team. If the sciences prove to be his strength, then he will be Draxum’s protégé in the lab. If his expertise ends with his bō and shell, then he will become Draxum’s side-kick in the martial arts.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>After a few days of being allowed the simple assignments, it became incredibly obvious that Donatello had true talent and unimaginable potential in the sciences. The kid pumped out multiples of the projects like it was nothing, often building upon the projects to fit his perfectionist vision.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>An even better discovery: the best reward to the kid was simple praise. All Draxum had to do was acknowledge the obvious—throw in a “Impressive work”—and the turtle was basking in it like it was sunlight and he had just come out of hibernation. So it seemed like a no-brainer that Donatello would fit best behind the scenes. However impressive a fighter he was, he was still, in Draxum’s own perfectionist eyes, unfit for the field in his current state.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum, himself, was a scientist, and he out of everyone knew the importance of science balancing the importance of brutality in order to get what he wanted. So these facts were non-concerns for him. He was unprepared for a child to go ahead and make it different.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum had gotten another lead for a potential mystic armor site on the surface, and was given a smaller group of Foot Clan Ninjas and Origami soldiers than the group he had on the night he obtained Donatello. The teenager’s contributions were going to be put to use, especially since he used some nearby trash from the surface and upgraded the bombs to be smaller and somehow quieter, and triggerable instead of timed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum had a portal prepared to disembark and was ready to step through when his purple protégé’s rapid footsteps were heard approaching. He turned as the teenager stopped behind him, his other two childlike minions hovering over Donatello’s head, and the kid smiled up at him as he gripped his bō.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so excited to see my warm-up projects in action! I think if I got my hands on another decent alarm clock I could make them even better, but I’m going to need a field test before I can decide what needs to be done--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You will be staying here.” Draxum stated, peering down at the turtle.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This upcoming mission is a simple search and find, we are prioritizing stealth in order to avoid more unwanted confrontation. Your attendance isn’t necessary nor have you trained for such a thing.” Draxum explained simply, half-turning back to the portal in the expectation that that was the end of it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What? C’mon, I’ve been home for days! I think I can help look for the mystic metal, I--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How do you know details on the mission?” Draxum looked over his shoulder suspiciously. He noticed his other minions looked uncomfortable as Donatello crossed his arms and shrugged nonchalantly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I figured it out. I caught a glance of a map with a suspicious red circle on it and figured you were probably in the middle of some kind of plan. I also heard you talking to a friend on castle tour number one, it sounded a little familiar so half of that was probably my memory connecting the dots. From there it was a simple deduction to narrow down what could be so special about a ‘medal’, eventually I figured you were looking for supplies and you pretty much specialize in mystic Yokai properties only.” Donnie paused to wink. “Elementary.” He giggled, “Always wanted to say that.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Normally Draxum would be willing to admit that the mutant’s quick wit was impressive but this time he only took a mental note that he couldn’t give any indication to or even near Donatello about anything he can’t or doesn’t need to know. It’s been a while since he’s dealt with someone with a brain cell.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“My decision has not changed. You will stay here, I will be sure to inform you on your ‘field test’ when I return. This should not take long.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But Dad, I can help! Just--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I will not be delayed any longer.” And with that, Draxum stepped through the portal, closing it behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello simply stared at the empty space for a couple of seconds before visibly deflating, his face resting into a scowl.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Junior, but hey, we’re on home arrest too!” Muninn spoke up, nudging Donatello with his elbow.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Boss left us to keep you company!” Huginn added and then wondered why that only caused Don’s face to harden.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So you’re babysitting me.” Donatello muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhhh…. No? No. No, we’re hanging out! We used to hang out all the time, yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! All the time! We’re one big happy family!” Muninn tried to help.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello sighed, “Whatever. I’m going to my room.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ahhh ok, alright kid! We’ll check up on you in 10 minutes!” Huginn elbowed Muninn at this. “Uh, right, 20 minutes! Because we’re not babysitting!” Huginn groaned and face-palmed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...Right.” Donatello turned and walked to the direction of his room, peeking over his shoulder as he rounded the corner of the hallway to make sure he was, in fact not being followed. He was going to his room, that was true, but after that he fully intended on making it to the mission.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>22 minutes later the goyles fluttered nervously over a bed that had a pillow proportioned to look like a sleeping person and a soft throw blanket thrown on top of it and tucked, which gave away the fact that the “sleeping person” would have to have a totally plush, rectangular body of about 2 feet tall.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well that can’t be good.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check out this art of the Goyles being Don's hype men by Purple-Turble on Tumblr!!:<br/>https://purble-turble.tumblr.com/post/621040635010547712/a-scene-from-the-fanfiction-one-two-three-four</p><p>Maybe if Draxum went out and played catch with the kid he stole from the used book store he wouldn’t be so stressed out. (rolls eyes)</p><p>Everything from here on out should be chronological, so next chapter is the fallout of Don’s villain reveal. Sorry if the jump was confusing--I just couldn't resist the dramatic villain reveal last chapter AND the symbolism that this fourth chapter would be purely about Donnie.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Brotherhood / Fatherhood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The fallout.</p><p>Two households learn how to move on from conflict.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Everybody okay?” Raphael worried, looking over his team after they were pushed to retreat from the nondescript abandoned building by Foot ninja and Origami soldiers. They stood a few blocks away from the building in question, the leader looking over any potential injuries.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Raph, I’m not okay.” Leo curled into himself, ignoring how his big brother immediately fretted towards him at the words. “Nobody should be okay. Baron Draxum has Donnie! Why does Baron Draxum have Donnie??”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Both remaining brothers sagged at the reminder.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. I knew something about Don was different, but… this just doesn’t make any sense! He’s not a villain!” Raph thought aloud.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...He didn’t even recognize us….” Leonardo’s voice cracked.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Raph set a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Leo, </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard him talking to Draxum--He didn’t even know who we are!!!” Leo tightened his hold on himself. “That creep is doing something to his head, how did he get Dee before us???”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael took a moment to compose himself from his grief, realizing he needs to focus on his remaining brothers right now. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That's what big brothers do.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Leo, deep breaths. It’s gonna be ok, just get ahold of yourself--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“IT’S NOT OKAY!” The red-eared slider smacked Raphael’s hand away and began pacing. “I’m not going to sit on this roof and do breathing exercises while our </span>
  <em>
    <span>brother</span>
  </em>
  <span> gets his head fucked with by… by… By s-some </span>
  <em>
    <span>freak</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Leo, I get it, I do.” Raphael watched his brother pace and begin to fidget mindlessly with his hands. “You know I do, I’m freaking out too, but we need to breathe and figure something out.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“FIGURE OUT WHAT?” Leo was now waving his hands in the air as he spoke, his breaths speeding up. “WE LOST DONNIE! </span>
  <em>
    <span>AGAIN</span>
  </em>
  <span>!!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> lose Donnie!” Raphael argued. “We know he’s alright, that’s more than what we knew before!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“HE’S NOT ALRIGHT!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo, silently watching throughout the whole confrontation, felt like he was witness to the world’s most unfortunate ping-pong match. His eyes kept bouncing back and forth between his older brothers, his head lowering more and more into his shell as time went on. By the time he spoke up, he had completely lowered his head into his shell and sat himself on the ground to keep his legs from shaking. “....Did we fail?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Both brothers immediately shut up at Mikey’s timid voice, turning to their youngest brother.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that, Mikey?” Raph asked softly to coax Mikey out of his shell.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wh….what do you mean?” Leo asked, his breaths immediately attempting to sober as he focused on his little brother.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....Donnie.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo sucked in a breath and Raph just looked heartbroken.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, Mikey. I-” Leo ran to embrace his brother’s shell, feeling incredibly guilty. “...Raph’s right. We got to see Dee today, that’s better than it was.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But Baron Draxum got to Dee before us.” Mikey inched out of his shell slightly. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah, he did.” Raph sat himself down on the other side of Mikey, his arm easily wrapping around both brothers. “But now we know where Donnie is. We know he’s safe, we know Draxum wants him for something, and we know Don’s not caged up in his basement or something. We need a plan, but I think we can get him back.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo simply rubbed the back of Mikey’s head, pulling himself closer to his brothers and tried as hard as he could to not feel like a liar as he nodded in agreement.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...Okay…” Mikey eased himself back out of his shell, rubbing at his eyes. “Okay. We know our brother better than that jerk by a long shot, we can get him back.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Raphael perked up as their most excitable member found his hope back. “Mind-control or not, we got this!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“D’you think it’s mind-control?” Leo asked, “That’s more Hypno’s thing--I don’t think he’s working with Draxum anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, right.” Raphael pondered, tapping his chin.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, I think brainwashing is more Draxum’s style.” Mikey thought aloud. “He’s a scientist too, remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...That… could be it. Makes sense…” Leo thought aloud in a distracted tone, pulling another worried frown from the biggest brother. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s just head home early, yeah? We can order something delivered and rest.” Raphael decided, picking both of his brothers up with minor complaints as he stood and began to walk. He deposited them back on their feet when they landed into the sewers.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....We’re gonna have to tell Dad.” Leo reminded the team as they walked. “And April.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The turtles all looked at each other and frowned at the thought of bringing even more bad news to their family--especially bad news involving both their beloved brainiac and their most despised enemy. Without speaking, they all agreed that they would tell the news together. Tonight, to their father, who had spent the days without Donatello mournfully searching the sewers during the day and the surface at night when he thought his sons were none the wiser. And then tomorrow they would visit April, who despite being grounded would scour the internet for Intel or rumors on nothing but her old MP3 when she was out of sight of authority, and actually was able to sneak out one night (on a school night) to aid their search in person.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All this time they silently feared the worst. They had more hope now, but the encounter still frightened them all. Never did they ever think they would be fighting their own brother on the battlefield. With their beloved brother under their enemy’s control, how could they bring themselves to fight back now?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Well, tonight they would fight their own battles.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“My sons?” The sound of scurrying approached them as they entered their home base, their father (</span>
  <em>
    <span>He was supposed to be getting some sleep</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Raph recalled) meeting them at the entrance. “You are back early, what happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter looked with increasing anxiety as all three of his currently accounted for sons took a breath to answer and then somewhere along the way lost their courage.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No more bad news,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Splinter prayed, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please... no more.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....Red?” He hated having to put so much responsibility on his eldest, but with sweet Orange’s inability to remove his gaze from the floor and baby Blue’s rapid blinking to keep his eyes clear, he found that his eldest was the only one fit enough to deliver what they saw.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....Pops…” His big Red teddy bear’s voice cracked, and Splinter realized that none of his sons were fit to share.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, my sons, let us...go sit down, I—“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, I got this, just…” Raph took a couple deep breaths and Mikey placed a comforting hand on his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s about Donnie.” Leo began softly. “He’s alive.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter came closer to his sons, “You saw Purple?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Mikey said.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“......And….he is okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“......N...Not really….” Mikey just looked nervous and uncomfortable now.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter was confused, his son was alive but not okay? “Where is he? Why is he not with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph finished his breathing exercise, “Baron Draxum has him. He got to him before us, somehow.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter could feel every inch of his fur stand on end at the thought of that man being in possession of his son. “</span>
  <b>
    <em>What is he doing with Donatello?</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His sons cowered back slightly at the tone—their father usually only used such a gravely serious tone when someone royally messed up.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We think he’s brainwashing him.” Mikey got the courage to speak first, “Don didn’t seem to recognize us, and he followed Baron away. And….he called—“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, that’s it—uh, yeah Draxum was telling him what to do and he’d do it—they both portaled out before we could catch him. But, Dee’s...he’s alive, and we know who has him—we can get him back!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey shot Raphael a confused look while Leonardo shot him an understanding one. Leo put an arm around Mikey before he could speak up again, giving him his best “We’ll talk later” look.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter already looked absolutely crushed. His son ...in the hands of that awful creature. His son back under the control of the man Lou stole them from--for their own safety. His son, who he had failed and lost.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Boys, get in the tank, we are going to the Hidden City.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” “Dad?” “Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad, we need a plan!” Leo pointed out, not necessarily against getting their brother back immediately but willing to be the responsible one here if the authority figure couldn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Pops, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Baron Draxum kicks butt on our turf, imagine fighting him on his turf ! He’s--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have to. He is nothing special.” Splinter sniffed and turned around.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad, Donnie kicks butt too… And now they’re fighting together.” Mikey timidly pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And that is precisely the problem! Come on, we are getting your brother. Call up April, we could use her strength.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....But I don’t want to fight Donnie.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter looked back at his sons and finally took note of how tired they all looked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They just came from fighting Purple, how could I drag them back?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He sighed and realized how tired he was as well.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....I am sorry, my sons. I am anxious about Purple and this news was most shocking… But, Blue is right, we need a plan.” Splinter took another glance at his tired, sad children. “But first, I think we need some warm food and a nice nap. Then we can go over a plan… Baron Draxum only cares about getting ahead, but he won’t jeopardize his assets in order to do so. Donatello… he will be ok while we plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And if he’s not, no one can save Baron Draxum from me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The boys all sighed, their emotions a mix of relief, sadness, regret, and tiredness. “I’ll order up some pizza.” Raph offered, already walking away with his phone in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Mike and I can set up the table.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span> are offering to do chores?” Mikey halfheartedly teased.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You gonna be okay, Dad?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter sighed at his blue son’s concern. “I will be fine. Go ahead, I will… get a head start on that plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo watched their father sadly turn away to worry about their brother, wanting to console their father but knowing that that is not what he needed right now. He put an arm around his younger brother and led them both to the kitchen where Raph was wrapping up their order over the phone--they were regulars, of course.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, Mike. I don’t think we should be telling Dad about…. Don’s comments on the field today.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why? It’s so… wacked! Donnie called Bar--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I know</span>
  </em>
  <span>! I know! It’s just… Dee’s obviously not in his right mind, so it’s… not </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> saying that, right?” Leo looked awkward as he attempted to explain his thought process--mentally noting that he’s not the kid who excels in that. Thankfully, Raphael hung up the phone and easily slipped into the conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, Pop’s knowing about all that...weirdness out there might end up hurting him.” Raph continued from Leonardo.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But isn’t lying to him bad too?” Michelangelo argued.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not lying to him--this isn’t like Piebald.” Leo corrected, “We just shouldn’t tell him one little thing, for his own sake. Not telling him doesn’t gain us anything, we’re just looking out for Dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmmmm…” Mikey still looked uncomfortable about the situation as he thought. “Ok, ok…For Dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” Raph attempted a smile at his family. “Now let’s get this table set, since we know Leo wasn’t gonna do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Heeey! I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> gonna do it this time!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey chuckled at his brothers’ antics and not for the first time he wished they were all here.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When the portal opened, Draxum and Donatello were met with the faces of the Foot Lieutenant and Brute. Both Foot leaders quickly adopted a battle stance at the sight of the turtle but quickly relaxed as they remembered Baron Draxum’s new “project”. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m surprised the turtle was on the mission so soon.” The Brute commented to mask his and his partner’s visible discomfort in seeing their now ex-enemy right after seeing his brothers.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He wasn’t.” Draxum simply said, causing Donatello to tense with a guilty look on his face, holding his bō like a lifeline. “Why are you wasting time sending teams to blank sites?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What, like I knew it wasn’t there?” The Lieutenant rasped offendedly. “The Yokai flea market in the basement has items similar to… what we’re looking for and that messed with our tracking.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum growled and clenched his fist, irritated</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t get your horns in a knot, you’ll get your armor in due time.” The Lieutenant shrugged off Draxum’s nonverbal complaints. “This can be an exercise in patience.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Patience won’t lead my people into the sunlight!” Draxum gritted his teeth to avoid yelling. “Leave and return to me when you have a real lead.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Have a nice rest of your day, too, Mr. Draxum.” The Brute farewelled sarcastically as the shorter man elbowed him with a snicker. Donatello quickly and quietly devised an escape plan and began to execute said plan while the Baron fumed at their guests. And with that, both Foot leaders departed into their own portal, right on time for two other foolish assistants to fly in.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss! We had an eye on him, we promise--Oh hey, Kiddo--but somehow the turtle--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“--IS RIGHT THERE WHERE WE LEFT HIM, REMEMBER, MUNINN?” Huginn hastily interrupted, ignoring the way Donatello tried to sneak away.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhhhh… Yeah, right there. Not a runaway, but safe and sound, right where he said he’d be.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m aware.” Draxum turned to Donatello, who immediately began acting as nonchalant as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, wow, what a day, am I right? I’m going to just… go to my room and think up another update for those projects… ehhh….” Donnie stopped and smiled awkwardly as Draxum’s glare got flatter and flatter.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I distinctly remember telling you that you were to stay in the castle.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh, what? Oh, that? I thought it was a suggestion, totally didn’t realize you were serious--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It was an order and you deliberately disobeyed me.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello narrowed his own eyes as the gargoyles both sucked in a breath through their teeth. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What, is that the kind of family this is? I knew something was fishy here but </span>
  <em>
    <span>orders</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” The purple turtle laughed humorlessly as Draxum straightened his posture, wondering if his project was already over. “Everyone keeps saying how great my Dad is but I’m not seeing it at all. I could’ve been useful out there, I could’ve cut the time in half but you didn’t want to listen. Guess I got that from you, huh?” Donnie quickly turned to storm out, heading for his room. “I can literally see mystic items--I could narrow down some lousy metal if you gave me the chance. But you didn’t order me to do that, so, who cares?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are you going?” Draxum demanded, his vines threatening to emerge from the ground in his anger alone. “Get back here!” He almost allowed his vines their wrath when the child continued to stomp out of his sight, not even hesitating. Baron Draxum growled in frustration, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Where was that anxiety from earlier?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Baron Draxum, sir?” One of his Goyles asked timidly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the one in charge here.” Draxum growled.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh, well, no, not really.” Huginn correctly softly, flinching back as Draxum’s head whipped around to him. “You’re not supposed to be his boss, Boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I fail to see the difference. I am the one who creates the rules, he is the one who follows!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t read that book I got you, did you?” Muninn asked, receiving a growl as his answer. “Look, here it is,” Muninn flew to the other room to fetch the parenting book in question.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss,” Huginn started in the meantime, “Yeah, you’re technically in charge, but you’re in charge of a teenager. Teenagers don’t do anything that you want them to do! And you can’t just order them around… Why don’t you ask the kid to play a game of catch every once in a while or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I dunno, Dad stuff. It’s what Dads do.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s idiotic. I’ve never required such a moronic activity.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, Boss, that explains so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“FOUND IT!” Muninn flew back into the group, holding the book up like a trophy.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I am not wasting my time with your wasteful ideas.” Draxum growled and was ignored.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, here it is!” Muninn flipped to the right page and held it open to show to the group.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Find a way to relate to your teenager. Take an interest in their interests and make an effort to listen to their concerns and ideas.’ It’s written down right here, Boss!” Huginn recited.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum growled and snatched the offending book from his minions, closing it harshly and tucking it under his arm. “Enough! You two are wasting my time! I will deal with the turtle as I wish!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry Boss, we’re not critiquing anything about you. ”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How could we? You’re amazing! And those shoulders--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But this kid is wicked smart, and he’s not going to work for you if he figures out… The Thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baron Draxum ignored them, stomping out of the room to follow his protégé. He was the one in charge here--perhaps he has been too nice to his assistants lately. They were practically running amok! The gargoyles thought they could tell him how to “parent”, as if it were actually what Draxum was doing. His “son” disobeys orders, talks back to him, and walks out while he is being spoken to. Even his business partners, the Foot, think they can just string him along for a faulty mission.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He’ll show them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Baron approached the makeshift bedroom he had his gargoyles set up for their new guest and paused to toss the parenting book he was still holding to the side. It can be disposed of in a more permanent manner later. A few more steps and he paused again at the door frame to pull back the rag curtain that served as a door, easily spotting his “guest” curled up on the cot, back to the door and arms crossed. Donatello made no indication that he knew Draxum was there, so Draxum stepped into the room to stand by the bed, his shadow draping over the newbie.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Your lack of manners has not escaped my notice, child.” He spoke up, half expecting the turtle to startle at his voice, which did not happen. Donatello had known he was here, then.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No response. Draxum raised an eyebrow but continued on. “As for your disobedience, I know you understand what I mean when I say to stay put.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nothing. Was the child sleeping? Draxum peered over his protégé’s shoulder, seeing eyes that were open but staring directly to the wall. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So that’s how it’s going to be</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Draxum thought as he felt the vines under the castle tighten with malice.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You cannot ignore me, child. I am Baro--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Baron Draxum.’ I know .” The teen finally spoke up in a bored tone, as if he simply did not care about the absolute </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span> Draxum was capable of raising. “I have a name, too, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dad</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Even those other turtles knew it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum stilled at the mention of the other brothers. Was his brilliant plan already done? Not that it mattered too much, since Draxum could easily cage the turtle here anyway. Besides, every moment spent as a “father” made Plan B look better and better. “And what else did they tell you?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing. They cornered me but I turned the surprise attack on them instead.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You… fought them?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie shrugged, “Not much, you and your weird friends showed up. I could’ve taken them, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum glared at the mention of his “friends” but chose to ignore that for the time being. “You forget you weren’t supposed to be anywhere near them. I didn’t forget that.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello tensed, his arms tightening his hold on himself and his unseen glare boring holes into the wall. “I didn’t do it for no reason! I can fight, I can look! I can help you!” Donatello paused and sighed. “You just… don’t understand what it’s like to…. I could’ve been useful! I know I could’ve isolated what you’re looking for if you had just given me the chance! I could help.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For reasons beyond himself, Draxum paused at this. For reasons beyond him he was reminded of….himself--specifically his meeting with his own higher-ups and the bitter feeling he felt when his proposal to liberate the Yokai was shot down. The waste of potential. The utmost faith that he could succeed if he was just… given a chance. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...If you are so sure, how do you propose you do this?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie chuckled humorlessly. “Now you ask… My goggles can see mystic items—it’s the perfect blend of otherworldly magic and modern technology. If I had… a sample, maybe, and a tool or two, I could isolate the material from everything else it sees.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You… believe you can do that?” Draxum asked curiously before shaking his head, “Not important—The pieces have been collected just fine with my own sensitivity to mystic items.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello peeked over his shoulder at this, a surprised look on his face. “You can feel mystic items? So you know about my goggles?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I can feel the mystic properties radiating off of you.” Draxum left out that he actually did not realize that was coming from the goggles.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why didn’t you realize your metal wasn’t at the site?” Donnie asked as he looked back at the wall he was so interested in, ignoring Draxum’s growl.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As frustrated Draxum was with the teen, he couldn’t help but understand the point said teen was making. His curse as a scientist couldn’t resist the claims his fellow thinker was making. Not to mention that Draxum did intend Donatello to join him on the field in the future, especially after the promise he saw in the turtle’s inventions--</span>
  <em>
    <span>no wonder Big Mama wanted them so badly</span>
  </em>
  <span>--and now coupled with the claims that he “could’ve taken” his other brothers. His scientific curiosity had been piqued.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That didn’t erase the fact that the child clearly lacked discipline in his own family, if this is how he treated what he believed to be his father figure. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This discussion isn’t about your abilities or knowledge. You were told to stay here, and yet--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, I was ordered.” Donnie corrected.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I do not understand the difference. You were not meant to be on the field today, and somehow you were on the field anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello abruptly sat up and faced Draxum, glaring him down defiantly. “So is everything you ask me to do an order? Were those projects just orders? Am I family or am I just a prisoner?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Technically both, if I followed the Goyles’ logic. Draxum thought to himself. Aren’t families immediately prisons, anyway?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This was getting him nowhere--he needed another plan, he needed leverage, he needed…</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum grinded his teeth together as he came up with something.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....Perhaps….” He spoke through his teeth before straightening up and clearing his throat, “Perhaps I haven’t been.... Communicating well. I am still used to… an established dynamic between us.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What, like it’s my fault?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....No. If anything it was the fault of… those other turtles you saw today.” Draxum watched carefully for any signs of clarity in the mutant. “The last time you were on the field, they had caused the accident that took away your memory. I had planned to have some time before I reintroduced you to them.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello was silent, mulling the new information over. So, Draxum continued, “Having you on the field again was always an eventuality, but I can't risk having the enemy seeing you as a target.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I….guess that makes sense…” Donnie admitted, his tense shoulders relaxing. “But they’re… my age, right? Would they really try to… I dunno, kill me?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Unlikely, they are weak as they are…” Draxum mumbled off-hand before clearing his throat again, “My main concern is that those mutants would lie to you, use their similarities and twist your memory into something that fit them.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That got a wave of understanding to wash over Donnie’s face. Perfect, Baron Draxum thought.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I must admit, I did not take into account your eagerness to run back to the field. You like using your brain, I had thought you would thrive more here.” Draxum felt the honesty a little odd in his soup of lies.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yeah, but I wanna see how they do out there too!” Donnie adopted a cocky stance in his seat. “Besides, what’s the use in making such cool and amazing things all accompanied with battle plans and daydreams set to top hits music if I can’t be there to execute them?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm…. Perhaps I can… understand the frustration.” Another truth. Draxum was always a more hands-on scientist, to the surprise of the other alchemists who did not also consider themselves warriors. “Fighters and makers have always been considered two sides of a coin, but I have always been both as well.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie shrugged and sent a coy smile up at the alchemist. “Well, guess I get that from you.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum had the rare moment of silence, feeling the odd wave of… kinship. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Weird.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello took his silence as a response and continued, “Uh…. sorry… about sneaking out. I just… felt like a waste of space sitting around here while everyone else does…. Whatever it is we do.” He looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact. “I guess I forgot about….” He gestured to his temples, “This whole situation.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baron Draxum paused, deciding if the conversation was over or not yet, before he slowly sat on the bed next to the forlorn turtle. Don still didn’t meet his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I stress the importance of listening to me in the future, but I… see where my assumptions were wrong. You said something about isolating mystic targets by using samples, I am open to testing this hypothesis if it means those imbeciles stop wasting my time.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie sent an unsure glance at his father figure. “I mean, maybe. It could help if I… was on site during the test.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A deal—how else are you going to show me you can hold your own against those mutants?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That got Donatello to perk up, shooting Draxum a wide smile and immediately schooling it into a determined glare. “Father dearest I assure you they won’t know what hit ‘em.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum smirked and lightly smacked the young mutant’s back before standing and moving to leave the teen’s room. “There will be preparations to make while we wait for the Foot to get their feeble human brains to locate a potential new piece, you should practice your form. I will obtain some targets for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know I don’t remember any training regimens but I assure you I have not gotten rusty in my short break—you’ll see.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum rolled his eyes as he left the room, smirking as he heard a brief victory cheer from the room he just left. He faltered as he stepped on a misplaced object, and glanced down at the parenting book he had carelessly thrown aside earlier. The Baron hummed before calmly bending over to pick it up and dust it off.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps it will hold more clues on manipulating his “child” into behaving.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have been looking at this chapter for too long, just take it.</p><p>Also something I noticed while writing the boys: the Rise versions rarely actually fight and I am so delighted about that. I just really love these boys.</p><p>Also I really procrastinated publishing this because this was the last chapter I had fully finished when I decided to just go ahead and publish this fic--so warning: future updates are gonna be slower now. I actually know what every chapter is gonna be though, so I'm optimistic that as long as I don't write myself into a corner I should be fine.</p><p>Y’all are super kind thank you so much for having me!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Family Feud</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The real reunion.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wasn't expecting this chapter to be so long, but I had a lot of things to set up and it just kind of took a life of it's own. Thought about splitting it into two but decided nah, this can be like those 30 min special episodes. Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The goyles duo had been thrilled to hear that their Baron had not lost his temper nor locked their new team member in a dungeon. Neither could really figure out why; the book that they had gotten their boss had gone missing and presumably into a pit of flames, so there was no clue on how he managed to get on common grounds with the teenager. Absolutely no clue whatsoever. Their boss was truly an enigma. Muninn had been the one to decide they shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, given their bad track record with horses.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Regardless, both of the sentient shoulder pads were fairly excited about the possibility of a new forever-teammate. Whatever made their boss happy, of course, and they were eager to see if the new illegally obtained son would do that.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>An hour later they regretted everything they had ever done in their lives after Baron Draxum commanded they be the kid’s sparring partners. Or, at the very least, targets to be taken down.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>At the beginning they had a naive hope that two manly gargoyles such as themselves combined could take a 15 year old kid, they snuck into the Battle Nexus and stole a whole champion for crying out loud! But as Donatello deflected all of their aerial barrages with his bō, pulling out incredibly sharp and occasionally on fire tools to add the extra flare—all while adopting a manic gleam in his eyes and taunting them with words they were pretty sure the kid made up—Huginn and Muninn decided they liked their job a whole lot more when they were just babysitting.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Enough.” The commanding voice of their fearless leader finally halted the onslaught. The goyles immediately fell to the floor, too tired to hold themselves in the air. Donatello had shown them no mercy, soaking up all praise and any mere hints of pride he could convince himself to see out of Draxum, and turned to the audience of one.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>So?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” He took some breaths to not sound as out of breath as he was, “You don’t have to say anything, I can see it clear on your face.” He paused, waiting, “But… if you want to say something I’m not gonna stop you.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum stalked up to the makeshift battle arena they had cleared out and inspected his exhausted minions as they groaned and twitched. “Hm… Not bad, your form could still use work and your reaction time could get you in trouble…”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie’s pose fell slightly in disappointment. He thought he had done well—the gargoyles spent much more time running from him and screaming than they did actually landing hits on him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But, you bested my left and right hand men—beating gargoyles is no common feat. I have seen with my own eyes the materials they can split with nothing but their heads.” Draxum continued, crossing his arms with a smirk, “Regardless of what can be improved you are the victor, and that’s what matters in the end. Good job.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Draxum expected, the child lit up at the minor praise, clutching his bō harder to keep himself from losing his cool façade. The possibly perishing goyles gave shaky thumbs up from the ground, emitting a meek “Good job Junior” as Donnie celebrated.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>To recover, Don spun his bō with finesse before casually resting it across his shoulders, his arms pinning it down. “Soooo I can go topside next time?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum paused a moment, raising an unsure eyebrow. “‘Topside’?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“To the surface.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum hummed for a moment, letting the oddity that is slang pass him by. “Next lead we will test your theory on localizing the trace pattern of the artifact, be prepared to defend yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes!” Donnie relished in his victory and then startled when Draxum simply turned and started walking away. “Uh, wait!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum looked behind him as his newest minion hopped over a gargoyle body and ran to his side, eyes darting in an unsure manner as he matched his superior’s pace.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Small query: why are we looking for this mystic armor anyway?” Donatello asked.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You remembered?” Draxum asked, watching for any hints of betrayal. Again, he never told the child anything additional about their mission.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Uh, I guess? That just sounded….natural.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum hummed, choosing his words carefully. The child was regaining memories on his own, and Draxum needed to control how those memories fit into the new narrative. “I need it to eradicate the threat that eternally looms above all of Yokai heads.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And that is….?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The humans.” Draxum answered matter-of-factly. Donatello gave him a confused eyebrow lift, so the Baron continued, “They cannot accept what isn’t human, they pushed us down here to be forgotten. The city is headed toward over-population; some Yokai have already braved the surface and made their homes in enemy territory.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Like...those other turtles?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum thought it over for a moment. “....yes. They have gone so far to sympathize with the humans—to protect them. They are delusional to think they could mean anything to those… those…” He growled. “Those mutants are not like us, they haven’t seen the struggle of Yokai like we have.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello thought about this for a moment. “You’re trying to help people—ah, Yokai, apologies—and those guys are...enforcing the human’s oppression on our own species?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum’s growl was cut off by an exasperated “Yes! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> someone understands it!” Donnie gave him a surprised look. “The majority of Yokai seem to accept their punishment for simply existing. They fail to see the injustice of it all. But I see it…. and you see it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello straightened his posture at the mention, and Draxum continued, “The extinction of the Yokai is an imminent threat unless something is done. We can not stand idle as they dig closer.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello nodded and the father-son duo walked in silence for a few moments before Don stopped at the entrance to Draxum’s lair—it seemed to be still recovering from some kind of damage, and Donnie finally felt that sense of deja-vu he had been searching for all this time. But before he could celebrate his home finally feeling like a home, he watched his father’s retreating back and spoke up about something else.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....That’s pretty cool.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum stopped a few paces into the room. “....What?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“T-The... end game…” Donnie shrugged and cringed, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “You’re like a… Yokai vigilante? Or perhaps at the least a castigator... ” He turned to take his leave, unable to deal with the possibility of Draxum turning to face him, gripping his bō to keep his focus, “It’s…. cool.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With that, Donnie rapidly departed for his room to rest his mildly aching muscles and not at all to flee from embarrassment for simply pointing out the obvious. Draxum stayed stationary for a few more seconds, finding himself off guard and revelling in an emotion he couldn’t place.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>...Perhaps keeping the kid around wouldn’t be so bad.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>To say that Splinter hated the plan was putting it quite lightly. The plan was as follows: they simply waited for Baron Draxum to reappear and, if Purple was with him, separate them to lessen whatever influence Draxum currently had on the teen.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinters’ teen. </span>
  <em>
    <span>His son</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Who used to cry at paper cuts and somehow managed to be the only kid in the world who simply could not learn how to ride a bike no matter how hard he tried. His lost child who was found in the hands of his mortal enemy.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Many times Splinter had wanted to stomp right into the Hidden City he left so long ago and face the man he never wanted to see again, but his boys managed to talk him down every time.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They were right; they didn’t know if Draxum expected that. They didn’t know how to find Donatello once they were there—they’ve all seen the kind of impenetrable holding cells Draxum’s lair held. And if Draxum found them first, then what? He could easily hurt Donnie as leverage, the sick bastard.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So, as much as Splinter hated it, Donatello was safer with Splinter staying at home and keeping a level head.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With that the boys went back to their patrols, and instead of looking for their missing brother they kept an eye out for the eyesore of the universe.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No, Splinter was not being dramatic.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>What was dramatic, however, was how his own sons banned him from tagging along in their missions. They had all conspired against him and nagged on him to “please, Pop, get some rest, we know you haven’t slept in days”, promising that they would call him when they saw Draxum.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter sighed and again tried to relax in his chair, ignoring the echo of the empty lair.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I really must have messed up to have them worry so much about me, my sweet boys…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The sweet boys in question were on the surface continuing on Operation: Get Donnie, Formerly Titled Operation: Missing Brother, and sharing their thoughts on their current If Draxum Hurt Donnie This Is What We’ll Do plan. Mikey had commented how on fire their naming skills were lately.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, right now we have one vote for ‘Lock Draxum in the Minotaur’s Champion Maze’—“ Raph started, talking into his phone as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop with a familiar weight on his shell.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He only does magic attacks, he’d be found in no time!” Mikey cheered through the phone’s speaker. In a habit he had paused to hear the science geek’s argument that magic didn’t exist, and felt his heart drop when it didn’t happen.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Señor would ban us for life if we smuggled Baron Draxum through his establishment.” Raph countered, unaware.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, he can’t stay mad at us, look at us—we’re adorable!” Leo’s voice immediately corrected. “Make that dos votos.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, two votes for Minotaur. I still put my vote on portalling him into Big Mama’s Battle Nexus and have them fight each other.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? And what makes you think Big Mama would help us?” Michelangelo asked.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, she couldn’t say no to this face!” Leo boasted briefly, “Besides, she didn’t seem to be friendly with him last time they were in the same room together.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly!” Raphael smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah I’ll vote for that one too.” Leonardo confirmed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh Leo, you can't just vote for everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>obviously.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I didn’t vote for not being able to vote for everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael groaned and rolled his eyes, not wanting to bother with an argument specifically structured to go nowhere with his troll of a brother. “What about you, April?” He asked the human clutching onto his shell as he ran and jumped.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Easy. We just sick Splinter on him.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad? You think he could take Draxum?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad’s great but you know he’s basically fused with his chair, right?” Mikey chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“True, but you’ve seen your Dad mad before. Now think if he was Mad, capital M.” April countered.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was a brief silence before all of the boys relented with their “ok you got my vote”s and April smiled, satisfied.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey thanks again for joining up with us, I know it’s a school night again.” Raphael spoke up, keeping an eye out for Draxum or trouble. Same thing.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, school isn’t important like you guys are. Of course I’m gonna come out and help look for Donnie! Besides, this way we can split up.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The turtles had still kept to their insistence on sticking together, not knowing if Baron Draxum planned on kidnapping them all and unwilling to find out. When April immediately demanded to join their Mission upon being told the news of Don’s whereabouts, Raphael felt a little better about splitting up into groups of two. He and April took one street of New York while the complementary brothers took a section nearby.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So, while we’re on the topic….” April began, immediately feeling Raphael’s shoulders tense in anxiety. “How are you all doing with….uh….”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...This whole situation?” Mikey quietly finished her sentence over the phone. “I mean, we know Don’s...okay now. Right?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Raph faked an optimistic tone, “Exactly, and we’re gonna get him back!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s gonna be just like the games we played when we were kids—Donnie’s the damsel and we gotta go save him!” Mike quickly joked, earning a genuine chuckle from the other group.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh he’s gonna hate that comparison, make sure you remember that!” April joined in on the jokes, keeping the youngest’s spirits high.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael couldn’t help but notice Leo’s uncharacteristic silence. They had yet to really sit down and talk about any of this, immediately launching into plans and talking their Dad into taking care of himself, and bringing April up to speed. But Raph had not forgotten the panic that set into his blue brother’s lungs once they saw Don for the first time since the incident. In fact, while Leo continued to joke along with them, Raph could hear a difference in the way he carried his voice. And it worried him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>But he also had the sense to not call attention to it in front of everyone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So he did his best to send the caring vibes over any kind of channel that would send them—he heard once that ninjas could learn to mind-meld and wondered if he could access that power—and kept moving onto the next building.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Out of the corner of his eye he saw something that stuck out in The Big Apple: a pop of color.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Magenta. Bright magenta.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped in his tracks right before the edge of the building they were currently crossing, nearly throwing him and April into the alley below. Only his iron grip kept the phone in his hand, which he immediately passed up to April. She must have seen the peak of the vines in the distance too, because without skipping a beat April rattled off their location into the phone, letting Raphael focus on sneaking them both into closer range.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Should we call Dad?” Leo finally spoke up, his breathing picking up as he and his brother ran to their location.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment of hesitation as Raphael thought. On one hand, they promised their father that they would call him. On the other, that would take time to call him and wait for him, and Draxum was here now. He ignored the fact that this was all an excuse to keep him home so that he might get some sleep for once, and at the same time that Raph could fix the mistake he felt responsible for.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Get here first, we’ll see if Dee’s here. Dad could sneak into the Hidden City if Draxum’s alone.” Raph immediately answered, gesturing to April to wrap up the phone call as they got into detectable range.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Foot Clan has been spread thin on this day. The Brute and Lieutenant had attended the mission, of course. They were the ones to call to arms after all. But upon arriving they wondered if they should’ve sent out an RSVP beforehand.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They of course asked what the reason for such a poor turnout was, and got an overly complicated story about how Tiffany had invited Jacob and Ellie for drinks, and Jacob invited Josh, while Ellie invited Sam, who invited Kyle and Kyle invited Jacob not realizing Jacob was already invited, but now Jacob thought there were </span>
  <em>
    <span>two</span>
  </em>
  <span> parties to attend so he talked his civilian twin into attending Kyle’s party in his stead and they all met up at the bar Tiffany picked out. When the other members saw Jacob and his twin together they had thought a wide variety of conspiracies and a brawl broke out. Multiple people were called to aid in the fight against the clones.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They all got kicked out of the bar, the younger ones were grounded when their parents found out they got arrested, and a few of them even got hurt. Oh, and Casey called in sick with the flu.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Lieutenant massaged his temples at the news while his Brute immediately fished out some pain reliever. Being in a position of power really required one to deal with some interesting circumstances that the promotion did not give warnings about.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A pink portal opened nearby. Speaking of which.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The imposing shadow of Baron Draxum stepped through the portal and onto the concrete of the broken down street of the surface, looking down on all of the nearby Foot members. A smaller shadow followed through the portal behind him and immediately flinched as all weapons and hostile poses were brandished towards him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Stand down, he’s on our side.” The Lieutenant commanded, and the clan obeyed. He was surprised to see the turtle so soon, especially after Draxum had insinuated that he wasn’t invited on the last mission, but knew he’d just irritate the Yokai ally by pointing it out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey the kid’s out, and so soon too!” The Brute immediately pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum growled in his direction. The Lieutenant sighed in exasperation. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Knew it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Good thing too, we’re a little short-staffed today.” The Brute continued, uncaring.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is wasting my time a sport to you?” Draxum growled out, irritated.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah! What a perfect segue to put the spotlight on my plan!” The purple turtle leaped out from behind him. “Give me approximately 4 minutes and I can direct us in the right direction!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Brute immediately brightened, and even his Lieutenant’s interest was piqued.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And just how do you plan to do that?” The Lieutenant took note that there was no new gadget, nor tool to aid their quest.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello smirked like a cat that caught the canary. “I am so glad you asked! Huginn, if you would be so kind?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The goyle in question fluttered from Draxum’s shoulder, showing off with a quick aerial maneuver because Donnie’s enthusiasm was contagious, and deposited a glint of metal into the turtle’s hand. He returned to his perch on his boss’s shoulder while Donnie held up the mystic metal for all to see, spinning his bō lazily in the other hand. Some Foot recruits had stopped to watch but got quickly ushered back to their posts.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s simple math, gentlemen. One sample of mystic metal plus begin parenthesis protective eyewear plus state of the art engineering plus—“ Donatello had droned on, using the order of operations to describe how his goggles could be used. He caused one unfortunate Foot soldier with massive education anxiety to start crying and get sent home.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“—And if I just set the source material, this piece here, in like sooo….” There was an audible click in the goggles around his neck and the purple turtle immediately lifted them to his eyes. “...Perform some quick adjustments, let it get a feel for it and--Ah-ha! It’s reading the geo-data!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Foot Brute and Lieutenant glanced at each other before the Brute spoke up, “You saying you can just…. track it? With your goggles?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello let a cocky smile creep onto his face as he confidently scanned the area. “Mystic items are convenient and all but you can’t beat </span>
  <em>
    <span>science</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum rolled his eyes at the comment and the goyles on his shoulders giggled.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Don continued, “There is undoubtedly a signal in this area, it’s downloading the source’s data to cross reference the mystic properties around us, cancelling out any outliers and focusing on--“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Draxum!” A voice demanded across the soon-to-be BattleZone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum glared unimpressed over his shoulder at the meddlesome turtle, glaring back at him. The Red one took what was supposed to be an intimidating step forward as the human once settled on his back jumped to the ground, a baseball bat on her shoulder. Both looked ready to pick a fight.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We really can’t go one day without you meddlesome turtles!” The Lieutenant rasped.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and your little friend too!” The Brute added.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The large spiky turtle didn’t seem fazed in the comments, his glare at the warrior scientist unbroken. “Where’s—“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello leaned to peek around his father, curious of the commotion.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“—Donnie!” The duo exclaimed, relieved to see their brother and friend alive and well regardless of the circumstances.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie immediately adopted a wary glare, not realizing his goggles were masking his expressions, heeding his father’s warnings.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Lucky for Don’s intentions, Raphael immediately recognized his brother’s glare from the downward tilt of his eyebrows alone and felt his rage boil at his own brother’s cold expressions “Let him go, Draxum!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Donnie, look, it's us.” April pleaded, smiling sweetly up at her friend. “You tutored me in computer science for, like, all of high school so far.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello felt his stitched eyebrow raise at the claim. Why would he help a human with schoolwork of all things? Was she trying to rub in his face the things he could never have?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They truly are cruel.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are we being ignored? I think we’re being ignored.” The rasp of a Foot Clan boss called out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was the thwump of another group landing nearby, and the two missing turtles joined to glare at the sheep Yokai and look pleadingly at the amnesiac turtle.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum glanced at the purple one and felt his smile reach his eyes as he turned to face them, finally he could show those ungrateful mutants what they could be capable of, should they have chosen to fight alongside him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>An offer that expired for them a long time ago.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Donatello,” Draxum spoke clearly, catching everyone’s attention at once—Donnie startled and  gazed at the sheep man curiously. “Join me, we must show them you cannot be manipulated astray.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>By the time Draxum had finished talking Donnie had already emitted immense excitement followed by cold determination and brandished his weapon, already expanded and reconfigured to mace. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Father of mine I feared you would never ask!” The purple turtle yelled as he jumped into the new Battle Zone, leaving a briefly gaping Draxum to jump after him, calling out for him to also keep an eye out for the artifact. The Brute shrugged at his dumbfounded partner before they both joined to aid, calling their few recruits to battle.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll show them</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Donatello thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>A fool will not be made of me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Mad Dogs startled as their beloved brother immediately followed their enemy’s command. Mikey and April glanced worriedly at their leader while Leonardo nervously chewed on his fingernails.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....Wh….What do we do?” The panicking blue turtle asked as their opposing team approached.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><span>“We’re not…..gonna fight, right?” Mikey asked nervously. His nerves only got more evident as no response came. “</span><em><span>Right?</span></em> <em><span>Guys??</span></em><span>”</span></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I…” Raphael glanced between their enemy and their brother, devastated. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We have to.” It was April who spoke up for him, and Raphael cringed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What??” “No!” The remaining brothers exclaimed, fretting.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen—Draxum’s controlling Don somehow. We gotta get his senses back!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But we could hurt him!” Mikey immediately argued.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No, April’s right. We need to catch him and figure this out, bring him back to the lair. Maybe one of his old gadgets can undo brainwashing.” Raph commanded as quickly as he could as the fight grew nearer and nearer. “Try talking to him, this is Donnie—he’s still fighting in there, I know it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The crew turned to face their opponents, each donning an apprehensive expression. Raphael tried to keep the bravest face he could muster, for the team, and the human beside him oozed the faux determination he wished he could borrow right now. Leonardo kept his eyes on their rogue brother and Mikey’s teary eyes hardened more and more as the villains approached. Each was struggling with their own confusion and grief, but they hadn’t the time to comb through them right now.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello jumped over a vine and into the group, mace-configured bō raised above his head for a downward swing, as the magenta vines swarmed to swing around to the other side of the group, Baron Draxum riding and moving to strike. The Foot Clan, being the most human of the group, ran to catch up on foot.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael immediately split from the group to put himself in between his family and his hooved enemy, once again putting his strength in keeping the Baron’s attention. His brothers were good at talking, in their own ways, and he was good at protecting them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>…..Well, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>used</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He smashed his mystic fist into an approaching vine and felt it get caught and entangled. The mystic energy around his tonfas fizzled out and his real hand was caught. Draxum smirked victoriously as he manipulated his attack to lift the large snapping turtle into the air, helpless.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph yelled in alarm, eyes wide as the ground was removed from his feet. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Already? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Was he next? Was Draxum just collecting his creations, one by one?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A spiked ball cut through the air and severed the vine from the source, leaving a trace of flame on the seemingly organic material. The red brother fell back to the earth, relishing in the grounding properties of actually being on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hot Hot Hot!” Raphael quickly squirmed out of the flammable trap, “Nice swing, Mike! I got this!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The youngest made no move to leave, glaring up at their brother’s kidnapper with as much hatred as his small body could hold. (Which, admittedly, was a surprisingly large amount.) “I got your back! Nobody’s getting left alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph sighed and nodded—of course the resident counselor picked up on his fear. Unfortunately, so did the resident villain, who also happened to be the resident reason why they all need counseling in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Battling some insecurities, are we?” Draxum taunted, swinging another vine only to get severed by Mikey’s kusari-fundo. “Can’t imagine why.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph opened his mouth to answer but Mikey beat him to the punch, swinging his weapon to build momentum. “Shut up and give us our brother back!” Mikey launched himself to attack and Raph scrambled to match his speed, if only to protect him if needed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh boy,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Raphael fretted, kicking himself for not keeping a better eye on his youngest brother’s mood, </span>
  <em>
    <span>we got revenge Mikey today.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Or, as they’ve recently dubbed: Doctor Delicate Touch. Who was a danger to himself and others, but mostly others. And fueled by emotion, which there was plenty of nowadays.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum smirked at the display, as if he weren’t patient number one. “I can’t seem to recall what you’re talking about. Enlighten me.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey yelled and fought back with renewed vigor.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Foot Ninja caught up quickly and turned to aid their favorite fawn Yokai as their leaders split off to aid their newest ally. Raph swung his fist and knocked out a soldier that had gotten in between him and his view of Mikey, who was still playing gardener with Draxum’s mystic attacks and littering the ground with burning vines.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Alright, Mike’s got Draxum handled for now.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Raph thought, powering up his tonfas to cover him from Foot attacks.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As the warm-colored brothers handled one side of the Battle Zone, Leonardo and April teamed up to handle the mislead version of their purple-banded ally. Donatello fought with all of his usual ruthlessness he showed in battle, not once faltering like he would occasionally do during capture the bandana. Which meant that Leo and April had to dodge and parry as much as possible, lest they get smacked by a metal mace.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>April fought under the one command of their leader: </span>
  <em>
    <span>catch Donnie</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She took the attention of the Foot bosses as Leo took on Donnie, keeping an eye on their fight as she went ham with her baseball bat on the flame heads who seemed increasingly reluctant to fight her. Every time Don swung at Leo, April was there to swing back, hoping to catch him off-guard. And when he dodged to turn his focus on her, Leonardo spoke up and jumped back into Don’s field of view as she turned back to the Foot.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Talk to him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, y’know a little hint to tell us how to undo this would be, like…</span>
  <em>
    <span> really</span>
  </em>
  <span> nice right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello ignored him and swung again, missing as the blue turtle rolled underneath his mace. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just ignore him. Focus.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, I have an idea!” Blue exclaimed, shaking his hands after parrying another attack.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How is he so good at deflecting my attacks?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhh, how’d it go--Does a set of all sets uh….also have a set….of its set?” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie felt his eye twitch, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Better question, does he ever shut up?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No? Ok, ok, no problem, how about--this sentence is false!” The talkative turtle yelled as he rolled away from a downward strike.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Frustration building, Donatello couldn’t help but drop his goggles back down to his neck to glare and vocalize it, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span> are you talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo stopped his roll to smile victoriously, “Keep thinking about it! Is it true or false?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha--It’s a paradox! It exists solely to have no answer! Why--” Donnie growled, rubbing at his nasal bone in between his eyebrows. “Why are you shouting paradoxes in the middle of battle?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Um,” Leo blinked from the ground, looking dumbfounded at his brother and shrugged. “....Kinda thought maybe you got turned into a cyborg?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello stopped to look incredulously at the other. “....Why?!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo quickly returned to his feet and gestured widely at him, “You’re acting like...like </span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Donnie had only a moment to feel offended before the blue turtle pleaded gently, “Dee, c’mon talk to us—tell us what’s going on.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They’re just trying to mess with your head. They’re taking advantage of you. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Donatello reminded himself, steadying his glare.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“APRIIILLLL--” Suddenly Donatello felt arms under his own and a kick to his tech bō, forcing him to drop it as his arms were forced up. The human had pummeled his father’s weird allies and rushed onto his shell and put him in a wrestling hold with her arms under his armpits and hands behind his neck. She smirked victoriously at him. “O’Neil.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Get off of me!” Donatello immediately began to struggle, trying to throw her off and losing balance, sending him straight onto his butt.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice one, April!” The blue turtle complemented as he approached them, resting his sword on his shoulder. “Now, spill it. You don’t have to work for him, just tell us what he did so we can help.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello glared at him for all that he was worth. What did they want from him? Were they still trying to mess with him? Was this an interrogation now?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon Donnie,” The human gritted as she held him back, “We’re your family.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello immediately recalled his father’s warning. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So that’s the story they’re going with.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t even know who you are.” He responded with the most scathing glare he could create.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leo immediately froze up, looking desperately at his brother’s face for any trace of recognition, or familiarity, or anything to signal that he was still in there. April startled at the news and looked up at her teammate, watching the grief flood his face as he found nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No…” Leo breathed out.</span>
  <em>
    <span> I didn’t want to be right.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey--” April began gently, giving her friend a sweet smile before a body took advantage of their distraction and toppled her and Donnie over, freeing him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Need a hand, kid?” The Foot Brute jogged to their location as Donnie and the Lieutenant groaned from the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why did you have to throw </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” The skinny flame-head whined, annoyed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry Boss, closest thing I could find.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello immediately swung his leg to kick the human away from them, sending her a good distance and into a pile of soggy cardboard boxes waiting to be picked up in the trash. In the motion he used to swing his leg, he grabbed his bo from the ground and transformed it to adapt into a large barrel and aimed it at the fallen, groaning human. The bo-cannon made an audible groan as it charged a shot.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“April!” The blue turtle only wasted a moment of looking into between his ex-brother and his friend before he slipped around the Brute and lunged into Donnie, throwing him off-balance just before he could fire. The shot ended up being a high-speed dodgeball that shot at a metal awning of the equally broken down building behind her, toppling it’s frame along with a loose shutter from the window to fall on top of her.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The slider looked with a devastated expression at the pile of cardboard and cheap metal, letting out a breath of relief when a thumbs up and a “I’m ok” poked out of the pile. Donatello immediately shoved him away and rolled to keep distance, putting himself in between the Brute and Lieutenant.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>How many times had Leo seen that exact hostile posture and glare, and never had he been the serious focus of it. His brother may get mad at him sometimes… ok a lot, but he would never seriously make his family subject to such a scathing expression unless they deserved it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So either they deserved it… or this wasn’t his brother. And the grief Leonardo fought so hard to keep under wraps returned to convince him to steel his sword and fight back. Instead of parrying and waiting for Donatello to attack, he met him halfway, using portals to his advantage to avoid the Brute and shredding paper Origami Ninjas that got in his way. He shed no tears, he wouldn't cry until he got justice.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Across the Battle Zone, Donatello heard a near-feral yell and he looked over to see the colorful light show happening with his father’s side of the fight. The ground shook slightly as vines erupted from the earth to stop the onslaught of the giant, red, semi-transparent turtle and his possibly literally on fire teammate. Donnie and his own teammates stopped to see the spectacle, and while he talked a lot of smack before the mission Donatello could say he was rightfully terrified at what he was seeing.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>These guys…. were incredible. Holding their own against an obviously well-trained Yokai like his father, and himself, (in addition to handling the Foot) and obviously talented in the arts of mystic weapons.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The goggles around his neck chimed and Donatello smirked. Right, he had his own talents. Who needs mystically infused weapons when you’ve got a brain like his?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately his brain’s boasting of its own self distracted it from dodging the incoming blue turtle that tackled the host to the ground. Donatello glared back at the other, pouring as much disdain as he could into his face. And for the first time since he’s met these odd turtles, this one glared back with the same face.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Give me my brother back.” The blue one commanded, appearing to be out of breath.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Ok, now Donatello was confused. Did these mutants really think they could fool him with so many different curved balls?</span>
  <em>
    <span> What a bunch of… dumb-dumbs. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You lack the intellect necessary to fool me. And you can’t stop me.” A glow lit up his face and a whining sound alerted Blue to the rocket-form bō Donatello had strategically let pinned under the foolish turtle. One second he was here, finally looking like he had given up the charade, and the next he was gone, launched up and away as the bo went crazy without direction. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Call me an illusionist because I can make a turtle… disappear!” Donnie chuckled as he watched the bo and turtle spin wildly. “....That’s… going to be annoying to get back….”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The insistent chime at his neck reminded him of his other responsibility. He quickly donned his goggles onto his eyes as he jogged over the Brute helping up the Lieutenant. “Quick, before he portals out, boost me!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello had expected the request to warrant some kind of explanation or elaboration, but the Brute had simply shrugged before grabbing him by his Battle Shell and launching him into the sky, no questions asked nor commentary given. Donnie had a moment to scream in surprise before he got himself together and began the area scan at the apex of the throw. Right as his ascent hit its peak, the goggles hit the glorious 100% scan and the artifact was highlighted. “Yes!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey Junior, how’s it going?” “Lovely weather we’re having, right?” Two familiar voices casually commented as they flew beside him, admiring the height he had achieved.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Don stuttered a lone “Uh,” before he felt himself fall and immediately began to flail. He briefly wondered why he had for a second assumed he could fly as well. The Goyles immediately yelped and grabbed onto his shell and flapped as much as their tiny wings could, proclaiming how they would save him even though they were dragged down by the turtle they had anchored themselves to. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Catch me catch mE CATCH ME CA--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A vine from the other side of the Zone uncoiled from its dormant state and reached up to the falling turtle, and as if it were muscle memory the teenager slid down the vine like it was a ramp and he was a pro skateboarder. His terrified expression melded into a satisfactory smile as he made a more safe descent, whooping and hollering as he followed the vine to solid ground. He sent a quick thumbs up to his father as he jumped off and to the direction of the artifact, gargoyles taking a breather on his shoulders from their rescue attempt.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baron Draxum gave his teammate only a brief glance before he had to put his focus back on the fight in front of him. His lesser creations were, for a lack of better words, pissed as they fought. He was finally seeing a glimpse of what his weapons could have lived up to be, had their lives gone the way he had destined them to.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Give it up, Draxum, tell us what you did to Donnie!” The red one demanded as he protected himself from a blow.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum sent a smug smirk back to them. “I’ve only done what’s best for my child’s unfortunate condition.” He placed a theatrical hand over his heart, but his expression did not change to match, “In an accident, my boy’s memories were taken from him. I don’t expect you to understand the tragedy.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As Draxum spoke, Raphael’s expression melted into grief. What Leo had said the night they found Donnie, the way their kidnapped brother had been acting, the scene of the Gone-atello Car and the wreckage leading up to it, it all made sense. Their brother had taken a massive hit that night, and not only did they fail to protect him they failed to retrieve him. And now Draxum, with a blank-slate Donnie, was free to mold that brain into whatever he liked.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was the eldest... He was supposed to keep them all safe... And he left Donnie all alone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Alone. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Alone.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A kusari-fundo shredded another vine and a little brother launched himself at the Yokai, tears and rage in his eyes. “LIAR!” He yelled, kicking the arm Draxum had raised to block and immediately getting smacked away as Draxum spinned to return the blow. Raphael felt himself snap back to reality. Grief would just have to wait--he still had brothers to protect.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He wouldn't leave them alone again.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Mikey!” Raph despaired as Michelangelo twisted to land on his feet beside him, rubbing the bruising arm Draxum had hit. “You ok?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll say anything to make us give up on Donnie, but we’ll never give up on him!” Mikey yelled, ignoring his brother and eyes solely on their villain.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you will waste your time on a broken fantasy.” Draxum taunted, “I am not the one who has lied to you, boy. Remember that.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey growled and made to attack head-on again, only stopped by his brother’s iron grip on his shoulders. He thought he could hear the faraway tone of Raph’s voice talking to him, as calmly as possible, but Michelangelo could not tear his fury away from the sheep.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck you</span>
  </em>
  <span>! You think you’ve won but your plan was built on a hill of lies! Donnie knows what family is, memories or not, and he’s smarter than you’ll ever know! You’re a bad liar to fall for your own story.” Mikey wiped at his eyes as Draxum glared down at them, face indifferent. “You think you know him but you don’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum had many words on the tip of his tongue. He could point out how with the purple one’s new condition, none of them really knew Donatello anymore--least of all Donatello. He could assure the doubtful turtle that he was more than capable of continuing such a ruse, and he could target the red one who tried so desperately to snap the younger out of the mindset he was stuck in. Baron Draxum narrowed his eyes and took in a breath to respond, but was cut off by the worst battle cry he had ever had the misfortune of knowing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hot Soup</span>
  </em>
  <span>!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A strong kick to the waist caught him off guard and toppled Baron Draxum from his perch and he fell to the surface of the earth.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad??” Both turtles exclaimed, the orange one finally snapped out of his daze.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Where---how did??” Raphael questioned, panicked as his father settled his gaze on them. Neither he nor Mikey were really in a good state to be lectured right now.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I called him.” A feminine voice admitted, and the boys turned to their friend gingerly walking on a hurt ankle. “He should be here.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter jumped down from the abandoned perch and turned to his family. “You’re hurt? How long have you been here before you called me??”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey immediately ran to support April’s balance and walk her closer to the group, leaving Raphael to smile guiltily at his father. “Only…. A little bit…. Enough for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little </span>
  </em>
  <span>fight….”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh.” Splinter crossed his arms and glanced around. “Where is Blue?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As if on cue a bright blue portal opened up next to them and a turtle flew out of said portal and into a pile of trash, groaning and head spinning.  “J-Jerk.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Blue!” The group rushed over to the fallen turtle as he slowly righted himself.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You ok?” April asked softly, calling Leo to full attention as he stumbled to stand.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha--</span>
  <em>
    <span>Me?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> ok?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, is that ankle looking a little swollen to you?” Raphael asked, eyeing the hurt ankle with a squeamish expression.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, I'm fine, promise! Where’s Donnie?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter immediately turned to look around for his missing son, finding many surrendered forms of the Foot, but no softshell in sight. He turned to his family to access the situation and stopped as he saw the exhausted and emotional faces of the children. All of his children, April included, were bruising and sweating in the aftermath of their fights. But worst of all, April and Raphael looked at him with the most heartbroken and guilty expressions. He hated that this had become the norm for them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Pops….” His oldest son started.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Draxum said Donnie lost his memory.” His youngest finished, anger spent and replaced with sadness.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He could be lying though, why would Draxum tell us the--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the truth.” His remaining middle child spoke up, his voice flat.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter sent a desperate look to the resident human and she only averted her eyes with a nod to confirm. He turned back to his sons, “You spoke with him?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo scoffed exhaustedly, “Yeah, tried to. He doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know any of us.” He sighed, deflating somehow even more. “He’s gone.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter could feel his own grief flood into his veins but his child’s words did not escape him, “As long as he breathes, he is still my son, and your brother. Do not let anyone take that fact from you, Blue. Any of you.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His blue son only sighed and shrugged before mumbling a “yeah ok”, which told Splinter that his son’s dark thoughts had not halted. No, this was going to take time to work out, and they didn’t have that right this moment.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The group heard footsteps approaching and turned to glare at the Foot Brute and Lieutenant, who looked as if they had just met their favorite celebrity on the street.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, wait…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Splinter thought, raising an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Lou Jitsu is here!” The Lieutenant excitedly exclaimed, the Brute idly jumping beside him. “Any chance you could sign my copy of--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A clang sounded through the Battle Zone as a flying object crashed into the Foot leaders, knocking them down and clattering to the ground beside them. The object’s rockets finally fizzled out and automatically reverted back into its default state of an unassuming bo. Splinter and his kids watched as their enemies groaned on the ground, seeing the weapon alone sent an uneasy chill through most of their backs.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly a shadow darted from the darkness and on to the Yokai vines, holding a glinting object into the air with a three-fingered hand. “Behold, the fruits of my genius! Score one for Donatello! Far easier to find with direction am I ri--” The purple turtle finally took note of the scene and his confidence merged into anxiety.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter held his breath as his son scanned the field, his wary eyes locking onto his before darting around in a panic to locate either a weapon or an exit. </span>
  <em>
    <span>My son….</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Dad?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter felt his breath catch in his throat as he heard his purple son speak. Hope began to build in his chest, and he failed to hear the gasps of fear from the children behind him. Then he realized his son was not looking at him. He watched his child locate the Yokai climbing to his hooves and rush to help him up, asking him if he was okay .</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad…” “Splints…”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hope disintegrated from his body.</span>
  <em>
    <span> No….</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello had rushed into the fray excited to boast about his retrieval of the mystic armor piece, only to find the fallen Foot bosses at the mercy of the hostiles. Fear had iced his veins as he took note of not only the return of the blue one, but also the arrival of yet another new ally of the enemy: a giant mutant rat.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>New York. What a town.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He could feel all of their eyes on him and his unarmed state, the rat’s eyes meeting his and seeming to pierce into his soul. And when he had looked around for anything; a remaining recruit or the flying state of his bō, he saw his fearless warrior of a father in the dirt.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It had been a shock as it is for any kid to see their untouchable parental figure taken down. What had happened? Surely not the other turtles, as impressive their fighting is, had managed to fell his father? The newcomer--the rat--was the only statistical probability that Donatello could think of in the moment.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But…. he’s just a rat.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie shook his head at that. He couldn’t underestimate the enemy already. There was something missing here.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He had quickly rushed to the Yokai’s side, grabbing his arm to help steady him and leverage him up, the goyles fluttering about to give them space. Draxum had seemed mildly surprised at this, but quickly stood and glared at the group of teenagers and mutants wishing not for the first time that looks could kill.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I am fine,” Draxum growled, “You two! What are you doing? Rise and fight!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Lieutenant and Brute groaned from their pile of pain, the Brute lifting his head to meet their partner’s. “Ugh, look who’s talking....”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum growled deeper and quickly turned to the youngest member of his team as his useless business partners slowly rose from their prone states. “Have you located the artifact?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello stopped glancing unsurely at the other group at the question. He flashed a determined smile and held up the piece he had tracked down, using it to tap at his temple. “But of course. I said I would.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then we are done here.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum heard the yell of rage before he saw the fury of the rat and instinctively he lunged forward as his son ducked behind him. He brought up an arm to block, smacking Lou Jitsu away from them. In the moment of contact, Draxum and Splinter swore time stilled as they glared into each other's eyes. The rat easily landed on his feet as he skidded away, glaring back at him with all of the hatred in his body. Perhaps it was a good thing that looks could not kill.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The remaining children had cried after the rat, who paid them no mind. He only had eyes for the monster currently twisting his son’s mind. Said monster smiled back at him evilly. Finally, he could repay the favor of 13 years ago. He had the armor piece, was one step closer to ruling the humans, and he finally stole his weapon back.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The former human launched back into the fray, and Draxum saw the Foot losers limping to join them in his peripheral. (“Hey kid, uh, you dropped this?” “Wha-My bō! I’m sorry my beautiful I will never leave you again!”) Baron Draxum stepped forward to slam his hand into the ground and summon more mystic vines to slow the rat down.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve lost, Lou Jitsu. The spoils go to me.” Draxum stood back up and conjured a pink portal, placing a seemingly protective hand on the softshell’s shell, hiding him from the rat’s eyes and ushering him through. “And this time, you can’t stop me.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter rushed to stop them, to bring his son back from the monster’s clutches, leaping with great acrobatics and cutting through mysterious vines armed with nothing but his hands and tail. As if in slow motion, he watched his son accompany his greatest enemy through the portal.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The multi-award-winning movie star Lou Jitsu, who punched countless bad guys and monsters both on film and in his life as a kidnapped gladiator, grasped at nothing as the pink portal fizzled through his fingers. The legend who heard the residual cheers of the paparazzi in his dreams heard nothing but the panicked cries of his children behind him--minus one. The direct descendant of the honorable Hamato family tasked with protecting all of humanity, who could not even protect his own son, fell to the dirt.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Check out this art Purble-Turble on Tumblr did!!!<br/>https://purble-turble.tumblr.com/post/621942589893099520/uhh-this-isnt-actually-a-scene-from-one-two-three</p><p>Also! Check out this art by CoolKat24 on Tumblr of a scene from this chapter!!!!<br/>https://coolkat24.tumblr.com/post/621963056492232704/one-two-three-four-chapter-1-cringephase</p><p>y'all're the best!</p><p>Disclaimer: Mikey cannot be held responsible for the words and actions of Doctor Delicate Touch.</p><p>I was originally gonna keep having the boys lie to Splinter and keep him on the sidelines solely because he is incredibly OP in combat when his kids are in danger but I really love Rise Splinter and wanted him the chance to suffer too--because everyone knows that's how you show love to your favorites. "Draxum had better get a good calendar because his days are numbered"-Splinter deleted scene</p><p>Also I never wanna type the word lieoutennant ever again. My original plan was to have the cast be solely the turtles and Draxum. What happened.</p><p>Speaking of which of course Draxum gets a real redemption arc when I'm in the middle of this lmao. I'm not gonna change the characterization though--he's definitely grown into a different person post Shredder.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Metaphors About Backs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>To have one's back.<br/>To know someone like the back of your hand.<br/>To turn one's back.<br/>To leave your back wide open.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In the aftermath of the battle the five remaining members had slowly picked themselves off the New York ground and returned to the lair, motivated to leave the scene solely by the worry of April’s hurt ankle. Much to the relief of the mutants the human had only sprained it in her landing after having a scrawny human man thrown at her. She still got hurt, but she vehemently insisted it wasn’t because of Donnie. She refused to refer to him in a negative light.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Boy’s totally gonna get it next time I see him, though! Memories or not.” She had immediately claimed, smacking her fist into her palm and unknowingly calming the family to see her unchanged. Even Splinter managed a relieved smile as he wrapped her foot. “So, what’s the plan?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>That managed to bring the mood back down. All remaining shoulders dropped as they marinated in the information they discovered, suffering in their own thoughts. Splinter sighed as he tied the binding neatly--a skill he picked up in his Battle Nexus days.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We continue fighting to bring Purple home. I will not let Draxum keep him without a fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>April had immediately given a determined nod, ready to fight any kind of Yokai to get her favorite geek back. She may not have the mystic mojo that Draxum and even the boys had, but she had a baseball bat, a family to back her up, and a heart of gold. Truly she </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> the girl who had it all. Draxum wouldn’t even know what hit him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She glanced over expecting to see the Fam hyping themselves up for their continued rescue mission, only to find the faces of tired kids processing how everything has changed. She blinked and took a moment to think about it all through their minds, to remind herself that there was a lot of grief here that was not distributed equally.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Obviously she was worried for Donnie, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>obviously</span>
  </em>
  <span> she cared about them all. But she also had to remind herself that she went home after this--a different home. An unchanged home, with distractions. The loss was carried in her heart but she didn’t have to live next to his empty bedroom. She couldn’t even fathom what Splinter was going through as a father. She didn’t have to adapt her home life around an accident.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t currently realize how incorrect her assumptions were, but as always her love for her family was in control. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Now that’s a plan I can agree with.” She didn’t let her expression fall. She’ll be the strong one then. They can rely on her, and she can shoulder them as they heal. Her focus was on them, and she refused to let them down.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But first, everyone must rest. It has been… an eventful night.” Splinter continued, releasing April from his care. “Orange, you should put ice on your arm to keep it from swelling. Red, walk April home, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-Hey, I don’t need a supervisor! Can I just stay the night?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....Do your parents know you are out?” Splinter narrowed his eyes as he thought it over. Despite never meeting the humans, he respected them for the daughter they raised.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“..... No….” April admitted and groaned, “‘M still grounded.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael snickered at his father putting his hands on his hips to scold their friend at that news and quickly jumped in, “Yeah I can walk ya home, April.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Really, guys, I can make it home on my own. It barely hurts anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon, we can take the fun way--I’ll be your uh, ch-chau, uh…” His concentrated face brightened into a cheery smile, “Your all-exclusive turtle transport service!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you bribing me?” April eyed him suspiciously.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph dramatically bowed and held out a hand for the human to take, adopting a fancy accent of indeterminate origin, “One Mutant Snapping Turtle Ride for one Miss O’Neil, leaving soon!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The girl finally gave a laugh, unknowingly brightening the moods of the family around her, before taking Raph’s hand with an eye roll. “Alright, fine, you got me. But! Only if we take the scenic route!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph nodded immediately. What April really meant was “run fast and jump high like you’re a rollercoaster”, and really, he could use that too. Quickly he boosted her onto his shoulder to keep pressure off her ankle. They said their goodbyes to the family and took their leave, making quick work of navigating the sewers and getting to the fun part of jumping and hollering topside. The scenic route was a good idea, as it gave Raph a moment to just….run and think.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And boy did Raphael have a lot of thoughts to comb through. So far their efforts only succeeded in pushing their misled brother further away. And now, not only did he have to worry about how far gone his brother really was, he had other little brothers to look out for. And a father to keep an eye on. And heck, even April should have an eye on her. She was close with them all, truly she had earned her spot in their mismatched family, and Raph had seen the text messages she sent their brother in his disappearance. He figured she didn’t realize they kept it on the charger, out of respect and desperation for any hint from the genius. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph was often very proud to be the oldest. With a family like his, how could he not? But it was times like these that the stress and responsibility he voluntarily put upon himself was just… a lot to handle. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Before either of them knew it, Raphael had touched down on top of April’s apartment. He shook himself out of his daze, thinking he should probably be worried about the odd trance state he was in while jumping and running. He swiftly and gently deposited April onto the roof, mentally preparing himself to appear more confident and...leader-y.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And we have reached our destination! Safe and sound!” He boasted cheerfully.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>April chuckled, “Thanks, I appreciate it. ...Are….you gonna be ok?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph could feel himself sweat, “Yeah, totally! A-Are you?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Donnie’s not getting away that easily.” April immediately thought back to her payback plans, “But…. it’s ok if you’re not ok… you know that right?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I’ll be fine! If you’re fine, and everyone else is fine, then Raph is fine!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yikes.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...We’re talking about </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Raph… I know that I don’t know what you’re going through--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha-April! You’re family too, you know that!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Raphael I didn’t grow up with you. I didn’t grow up with any of you.” April softly and patiently explained, “In my home I’m an only child, there’s a lot about your childhood that I didn’t experience. I love you all, you are family, but you’re going through this situation in a different way than I have to.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Th-That’s…” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you’re going through, having this happen to your younger brother. I don’t know what any of you feel like right now, and it would be wrong of me to pretend like I do. But do know what it’s like to worry about Donnie... if you ever need someone to talk to who understands at least that, I’ll be here.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael took a moment to think about the oddly mature things April was saying. Was there really a difference between his grief and hers? Did it matter if there was a difference, if they were both going through it? Furthermore, was he putting too much emphasis on everyone else’s hardships over his own? ....Was that what April was doing? All of this thinking, it simply wasn’t for him and the subjects he was constantly forced to think about had long since gotten exhausting.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>April gave him a gentle smile before opening her arms in a silent invitation. She always knew what to do.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was a well-known fact about Raphael: he couldn’t turn down a hug offer. It was physically impossible. He quickly enveloped her to keep her from seeing the tears threatening to peek out of his eyes. He had a feeling she already knew, though. His whole form hunched around his basically-at-this-point adopted sister and he took a few breaths to keep his voice even, not breaking the hug he definitely needed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m here too, April. We all are.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” She whispered with difficulty, tipping Raph off that he wasn’t the only one fighting to keep it all in. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Another thing about Raphael that everyone knew: if people he cared about cried in his presence, he immediately started crying too.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The hug they both needed didn’t get broken for a while.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Here.” Leonardo gently pressed an ice pack to his brother’s bruising arm after watching him stare ahead at nothing for a few seconds, well after their father suggested the ice pack in the first place. He wasn’t there for his brother’s fight against Draxum due to his impromptu flying rocket b</span>
  <span>ō</span>
  <span> ride (which he still felt a little nauseous from), but he gathered enough from Raph to know that Mikey was on big brother watch. By all of ….well, both of them. “You okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey simply shrugged and lethargically took the ice pack from Leo’s hand. “....m’just tired.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I get that.” Leonardo leaned back to put a supportive arm around his uncharacteristically quiet brother’s shell. Thankfully, Michelangelo leaned into the embrace, so Leo knew he was still holding on. They got to enjoy a moment of contemplation as Splinter and Raphael’s attention moved to April, and they gave a wave as they departed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...I think I’m just gonna go to bed.” Mikey mumbled out, dozing on his brother’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? Sounds like a good plan, Mike.” Leo smirked, feeling the twinge of nostalgia of when Mikey was younger and constantly late for his naps.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter waved off his departing children and turned to the same nostalgic scene. He could remember even more vividly how this exact scene would take place at nearly every movie night, and how Leo would be so reluctant to release his baby brother to be laid to sleep in a real bed. The amount of excuses one kid could come up with was honestly impressive, and many times Splinter simply let them be for the opportunity of photographs once Leo had dozed off too. He had a particularly precious photo of a sleeping toddler turtle pile, where all of his sons had dozed and cuddled into each other.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>All of my sons…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter sighed. Right, there was something to be addressed before it festered.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Blue, could I see you for a moment?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo jumped slightly and sent a pitiful look to his father--the same one he’d use as a toddler, actually. “I’m gonna walk Mikey to his room, he’s--”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Mfine.” Mikey slowly lifted his head and wiped at his face. “I can make it.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha--It’s no problem, I can--” Leo looked very surprised that his offer was turned down.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not a little kid anymore. I can make it.” Mikey crankily grumbled and stood, keeping the ice pack on his arm. He took a couple of steps and stopped, seeming to realize the sour mood he was in, and how it was affecting his brother. “.....Thanks, Lee. Love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leonardo sighed as he watched Mikey depart, knowing he needed time to sleep and think but still rightfully worried about his brother. His father quickly took the empty space next to him, not allowing him to slip away.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“So.” Splinter awkwardly started, kicking his legs distractedly. “How…. are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo lifted a suspicious eyebrow at his father’s clumsy approach. “....Fine. The trash I landed in was soft.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean…” Splinter sighed and his whole body deflated—it was times like these he wished he had a better idea on how to handle parenting. “with Donnie.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo felt his stomach turn, and it was only partially because of his lingering nausea. “W-Why’re you just asking me? Mikey’s in robot mode and Raph’s not even back yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly. I am focused on you right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo squinted suspiciously, remaining silent.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You fought your brother on the mission today.” Splinter had meant to ask it as a question, but it came out more like a statement. His son deflated at the words. “You were able to confirm with your own eyes his condition.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and I said he didn’t remember us.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You said he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>gone,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Leonardo.” Splinter finally got to his point, “Your choice of words worries me.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo crossed his arms and pointedly looked away. “Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I am not angry, just.... worried.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo visibly got more uncomfortable, “...Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter sighed. It wasn’t often that he had these doubtful thoughts, about how his sons would thrive so much more under a better father figure, about how he simply wasn’t good enough for them, how he could’ve raised them correctly if he were just….not himself.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>...If they had a real father—or a better Splinter—would Donatello still be with them right now?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...Dad?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter blinked back into focus. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This isn’t about me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I am sorry, I think we are all tired today.” He said, rubbing his forehead while his son looked at him with worry.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo gave a dry chuckle, “Yeah…”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was a moment where they were both silent and still, looking ahead at nothing. Splinter couldn’t let the silence stretch into finality, though, he had a crucial thing to acknowledge.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Donatello is still your brother. Baron Draxum cannot erase that fact.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo scowled and tightened his crossed arms closer to his body. Splinter had suspected that Leonardo had such thoughts about the situation, and he knew he needed to address them as soon as possible, lest they hurt him even more.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No matter what happens, Blue, you cannot forget that.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo scoffed, “I know! I know… Dad, I… I just…” He sighed and wiped at his eyes, glancing at the entrance of the abandoned lab. “He’s my brother, my best friend, my birthday buddy, and today I—”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He cut himself off and Splinter rubbed his arm soothingly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I just…. I think I’m allowed to be a little fu—uh a little messed up about this.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Splinter sighed and nodded, recognizing the amount of courage his son was displaying in expressing his grief.  “Yes, you cannot help the way you hurt, my son. I am sorry I was not more clear with that—I was...just worried….that in your grief you had let Donatello go.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of answering, Leo sniffed and leaned into his father to seek more comfort. Splinter easily gave it, if there was ever a time to hug his son, it was now. They had spent the remainder of the time Raph was away in silence, Splinter knew just as much about when to wait as he did about when to strike. He gently ushered his blue son away as his eldest returned, whispering to Leo to get some much-needed rest, promising to expand upon Operation: Get Donnie as they waited for Draxum’s next strike.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leonardo nodded and sleepily left his warm seat, retreating out of sight of his family where he paused in the darkness. Sleep, he knew, wouldn’t come easy to him tonight or any night for as long as he had the face of his brother being puppeteered by a stranger in his mind. He briefly wished he had a different set of skills, that he wasn’t so talented in being the team “Face Man”, and that he couldn’t fool his own family in their moment of weakness. But he couldn’t change who he was, and he couldn’t change his loyalty in keeping his family safe.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His father had worried that his grief caused him to abandon his brother, but in Leonardo’s eyes he was the only one who hadn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Foot Lieutenant had put up with a lot of shit in his career. He has interviewed hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of recruits. He has climbed his way to the place he was, and despite his size he had made a name for himself in the terms of combat. Of course nobody ever called him by that name, but he did it—no need to check his Foot record. He had followed the code that needed to be followed he had answered to superiors that needed to be answered to. But if you would have told him back then about what he had to sit through now, he would have laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It had started as the fight on the field ended. Draxum, his protégé, and by extension the strange gargoyle minions, had tactically fled from the scene and left the Foot bosses and the handful of their members to pile into their own portal. As much as they all wanted to casually converse with the legendary Lou Jitsu, he clearly was still a marvel in the ring and no one wanted to be on the other side of his fist….at least today. Especially with how angry he had looked as the portal closed on him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum had actually seemed to be in a more pleasant mood, for obvious reasons the Lieutenant didn’t care to expand on.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, see Mr Draxum, a little patience was a good thing!” The Brute had commented, reading the room to be a joyous vibe in the post-success high.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Baron immediately scowled in their direction. Which was actually a step in the right direction compared to his usual glares and overall sour resting expression. “The recovery of the artifact was in no thanks to you. You should be worried about your rank.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hah</span>
  </em>
  <span>, The Lieutenant thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Draxum underestimates the challenge of rising through the ranks here at the Foot. He’d be lucky to make it to Rank 2.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch it, Draxum,” The Brute had crossed his arms to make himself appear bigger, “you ain’t getting the armor without us. Might want to play nice every once in a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum hated the necessity of them--it was made clear in the events of today that he could excel perfectly without them, especially now that he had the tech genius on his side. Speaking of which… Draxum turned to the genius in question and gestured with his head the permission for the honor of handing off the piece.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“And alone you will never find the pieces to rebuild the armor in the first place.” The Hidden City resident scolded as Donatello obediently stepped forward to bestow the fruits of his genius into the hands of the Foot.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello flashed them a sly grin as the metal left his hands, “I hear your unspoken thank you’s and offer you a ‘you are welcome.’”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Lieutenant felt his jaw clench at the Baron’s high-and-mighty attitude, and of course it was spreading to the kid. In his mind he had to keep repeating to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do it for the Shredder</span>
  </em>
  <span> in order to keep himself calm. They needed him alright, but not for what the Baron thought they did, the fool.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe he should at least hand it to the kid—who definitely carried their success today. But not in front of Draxum’s satisfied smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We will contact you for the next lead.” The Lieutenant settled for, eager to go home and sit under a nice warm blanket and watch a good movie.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, nothing could have prepared him from being scolded by some more-superior-than-thou Yokai who didn’t know he was being used as a nice welcome home meal for the Shredder. Over a successful mission . All in front of the kids, too! The Lieutenant couldn’t wait for the End Game…</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He and his Brute turned and ushered their recruits and soldiers to the exit. It was a school night, so the ones still in school had to be debriefed and released quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum watched as his allies finally removed themselves from his vision. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Do it for the armor…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello, also reading the room to be an incorrect vibe in the post-mission success high, immediately turned to Draxum and lazily leaned on his bō, sniffing pointedly. “They really are lost without us, huh? Not to blow my own trumpet or anything…. </span>
  <em>
    <span>But!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie kicked his bō into a spin and tapped a button, activating a small speaker to appear at the end. With a dramatic flourish he activated another button and pointed his bō to the sky, in a theatrical pose, pausing dramatically for the intended effect.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And paused. And paused. He looked confused at his tech weapon, wondering what had been broken or glitched, only to shriek and flail in a panic when the shell on his back began to blare a trumpet victory song instead. Draxum watched unamused as the turtle startled at the loud and sudden effect and hurried to turn it off, his left and right hand goyles giggling in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, heh,” Donnie gave an embarrassed smile, “That’s, uh…. A bug. Sidenote: my shell has speakers. Learn something new everyday?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Your exoshell has many functions I have seen—I’m surprised you haven’t used them.” Draxum mildly critiqued.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I….guess I forgot?” Donatello shrugged and placed a hand on the slight dent of his shell, right behind his shoulder. “She’s still a little damaged, I’ve been focused on….uh, other things recently.” He looked up at his father expectantly, awaiting something.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum was ready to simply shrug and dismiss his minions for the day, but a tiny elbow to his bicep informed him that he was once again missing some crucial step in leading this child whose shoulders were dropping by the second.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Say, Junior, you had a great time on the mission today!” Muninn said loudly and clearly, far too close to Draxum’s ear.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, for sure! You locked down that metal faster than anyone else!” Huginn also spoke loud and clear in Draxum’s other ear.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As much as he wished to smack them both away, their inconspicuous tone was correct: the kid had earned his desired positive reinforcement.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Indeed.” Draxum began, folding his arms behind him, “You were correct in your hypothesis and the mission was completed far quicker than if those imbeciles continued working the way they do.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello jumped up and pumped his fist in the air, “Helium carbon to the potassium YEAH I was! </span>
  <em>
    <span>And</span>
  </em>
  <span> I took on two of those guys! All before the rat showed to bail them out! May I request a ‘booyah’?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The goyles immediately cheered on the kid and fluttered in circles to keep the mood up, while Draxum was still pondering on the first sentence. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He didn’t….</span>
  </em>
  <span> Draxum wracked his brain for it’s copy of the necessary information, </span>
  <em>
    <span>…. he did</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie’s dramatic bowing to the clapping Huginn and Muninn was stopped by a barely audible and muffled snicker. All three immediately ceased what they were doing—Huginn’s wings even stopped flapping and he allowed himself to fall to the ground—as they turned to the only possible source, eyes wide.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum swiftly removed his hand from his face and schooled his expression with lightning fast reflexes, all before his audience finished turning to him. He cleared his throat and leveled his shoulders to remain in charge, not willing to betray himself again to a moment of startled revelation.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, well. Good work on the mission today, we will continue to use your equipment in the future.” He turned away to further avoid the shell shocked look all of his minions were giving him. “In the downtime, we can see to repairing your… tech-shell, when you are rest—“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you say </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Donnie quickly interrupted, struggling to keep his expression calm and promptly forgetting Draxum's slip up.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow, “I will be present with you in the lab at a—“</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Gaasp!!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Donatello said out loud, jumping over the still-frozen Huginn and trailing after his father. “I can finally use the lab? It’s a real beauty, I’ve been looking forward to this since—“ he paused to think, realizing he didn’t know if he used to have access to the lab before the incident, “Well, I can show you how I upgrade my tech! Can we go now? Let’s go now!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum gaped after his son as he ran ahead, not a trace of post-fight fatigue in his body. He blinked dumbly as his minions flew back to their spots on his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“They say that youth is wasted on the young but this kid is the exception, huh?” Huginn commented as Donatello rounded the corner and out of sight. Draxum walked at his own pace to follow.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey good call on letting him in the lab—He’s really happy to be spending some time with you, Boss! ….Does that mean we’re not cool anymore?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh please, the kid loves us! There will always be time for us!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Muninn sniffed and wiped at his eye, “I hope so, they grow up so fast!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum rolled his eyes as Muninn dramatically wept into his tiny paws. He didn’t understand what exactly they were talking about. Gargoyles have always been, and always will be, cool or else Baron Draxum would not have bothered with his request for some. And why would a child’s attention span impact them?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Upon reaching the entrance of his lab he saw the turtle excitedly peeking in from the doorway, absorbing as much information as possible in terms of equipment and placement. Honestly, Draxum was surprised the kid waited on him at all.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t your first time seeing the lab.” He pointed out as he got close enough to hear the audible </span>
  <em>
    <span>oohs</span>
  </em>
  <span> and </span>
  <em>
    <span>ahhs</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Where did you think your materials for your early projects came from?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah but actually being in a proper lab is much different than simply observing it!” Donatello raved, entering the room now that it’s master was present. He swiped a hand dreamily over a flat surface. “A dedicated workspace is a temple—a place of worship. There is a sacred transaction when a genius builds in his kingdom.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Goyles, remove all and any poetry books from the castle immediately.” Draxum immediately commanded, deadpan.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The goyles chuckled on his shoulders, “Wow Boss, did you just tell a joke?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I am serious. Shoo.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The goyles “aww”ed but promptly fluttered off to do their task--this was hardly the weirdest sudden chore they have ever been given. They had been interested in supervising the kid’s tinkering, but they could easily get the playback from Donatello when they hang out later. As they left to their task Draxum followed the young genius into the lab, watching him take closer looks at his messy notes. The room was still in a state of disarray and disrepair; Draxum had simply been too busy dealing with the turtles to clean up after their mess, and the goyles could only work so fast.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I remember you being an alchemist, but you’re a mind of the biology branch too, right? I’m seeing a lot of terminology here.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum peeked at the notes the turtle was looking at, finding himself underused to conversing with someone of equal footing on academics for once.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes…DNA evolution with a focus on mutation.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If Donatello found that weird, he didn’t show it as he hummed in thought, “Can’t say genomics is my first choice, personally, but DNA evolution and mutation sounds incredibly promising.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It was.” Draxum growled, turning to clear off a near-empty table for the child whom Draxum still thought should be more tired than he apparently was. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Perhaps this is a youth thing.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He flinched when said child was suddenly by his side, looking up at him curiously. “Gah! </span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You could change a lot of lives with your science.” Donnie replied, fully focused on the detail of science being halted over the task of repairing his shell, “What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum looked at him in shock and paused to think. So far simply twisting the truth worked wonders on the amnesiac turtle--in time his brain will likely adopt the new truth and mutate its own recollection to fit.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fitting.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It worked. Too well. But then, not well enough.” The Baron answered cryptically, hoping the teen would drop it. “I changed the wrong life.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello simply looked surprised before averting his eyes to think over the riddle. “....Are you talking about…. Lou Jitsu? The rat, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>To his credit, Draxum was starting to not be surprised by this turtle and his perception anymore. Of course Donatello would not dismiss that comment from the field. “Yes. Those mutants are an unlikely roadblock ultimately formed in the shadow of my own light.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello hummed and nodded, “I see...” He quickly sent a confident smile up at his father, “Don’t worry, Dad, those mutants can’t stop progress anymore! Especially once I’ve fixed up my tech--that metal practically has my name on it!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum blinked at the surge of good-natured pep talk, briefly wondering the conclusion his son had come to with the minimal information given and ultimately figuring that if the teen had any suspicions about the story, he would waste no time asking for clarification. He watched as Donatello excitedly rushed to the other side of the table before disengaging the false shell from his back to be worked on. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The young genius launched into a grand explanation on how he planned to get his tech shell back into working order, starting with popping out the dent and then looking into the mechanisms within. Draxum, being </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> an engineer, simply let him chatter as he moved onto his own table to flip through the notes he had let collect dust after rediscovering the turtles. Even though Draxum felt he had essentially successfully won Donatello, he still had a ways to go before he found the child truly trustworthy enough to be left alone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Every once in a while Donatello would mention something that Draxum recognized, and they would get into a quick discussion on common ground subjects such as pi, fighting techniques, and surprisingly, the psychology behind phenomena such as Feng Shui. Donatello had some interesting theories and challenges, but Draxum was equally adamant in his own opinions.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They could at least both agree that the castle was “high-tier” (Donnie’s words) design. Naturally. Though the teenager immediately suggested purple accents for the lounge area, to “level up”. Draxum elected to ignore the teenager.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Idle discussion such as this continued as they both worked, patches of silence becoming more common as Donatello focused on his craft. And once for him to literally wrestle with a rogue mechanical arm that had been frozen in hostile mode.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum had been engrossed in editing his old notes, inputting new information and proposing new hypotheses, that he had forgotten that he had company in the first place until he turned around to the now silent turtle. The child had once been hyper focused on repairing the malfunctioned arms of his apparently titled “Battle Shell”, and eventually must have taken a break to rest his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He now slept on folded arms on top of the lab desk, dirt and oil still smeared over his arms and hands. If he was uncomfortable with his bandana on, he didn’t show it, looking as peaceful and harmless as he did when Draxum rescued him from the field. After today Draxum definitely knew better. The prodigy may appear harmless but he was a force to be reckoned with, and Draxum fully expected to have him on the field by his side, permanently.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Baron took only a moment to think how he had gotten into this predicament--how he had suspected Donatello should’ve waited before being assigned a new project. Well, he was resting now, though Draxum didn’t trust him to be unsupervised in his lab. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum glanced around to confirm that, yes, his other minions still had yet to return from their book purge mission, and swiftly turned to a drawer next to his now-cracked beaker collection. With a quick turn of the two handle-like knobs, the secret lock disengaged and the drawer easily slid open. He swiped the powered down vambrace and other junk out of his way and grabbed the battered book underneath, immediately flipping to any chapter that looked to be helpful.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘If your teenager takes naps often, don’t discourage this! Naps are beneficial to their full hours, especially if your teen has problems sleeping. Try to encourage them to sleep or nap in their room, where they are comfortable and less likely to be disturbed.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Well, obviously! He tried that, and Donatello only seemed to focus on the work.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell kind of teenager does that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He scanned through the useless page that read about energy usage and how it affects teenagers, along with even more useless drivel about lamenting the teenager’s younger days and blah, blah, blah. He rolled his eyes and flipped the page, finding surprise-surprise an equally useless paragraph of not only parental culture norms, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>human</span>
  </em>
  <span> parental culture norms, and at that point Draxum was ready to shred the book for good this time. He raised an eyebrow in intrigue at the image under his thumb and slowly moved it out of the way.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Underneath his thumb was a staged image of a human man carrying his hellspawn on his back, like some kind of twisted backpack made of human. Actually now that Draxum had thought of it like that, it was probably the most beneficial thing in this particular chapter. The hopefully-but-likely-not-deceased human teen was slack, their arms dangling from the human father’s shoulders and legs wrapped around his middle, and it was insinuated that the child was being transported between two points.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum’s ears twitched beneath his helmet as he heard the flaps of small wings approaching and he quickly shoved the book back into the drawer and closed it in one fluid motion.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss, we’re done with the—“ Muninn had started to say, flying down to his charge when a Yokai palm snapped out and grabbed his entire face, effectively muzzling him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Quiet.” Was all Draxum said, casually holding a confused gargoyle face in one hand and inconspicuously locking the drawer with the other. Huginn wisely obeyed the command and threat, looking around the lab for the reason their boss would silence them—the boss loved their little talks, they were sure of it!</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Huginn quietly exclaimed and hovered over to land on the desk. “Awwww… Muninn look, the kid finally wore himself out!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As Draxum let Muninn go, the goyle dramatically took gulps of air he had been lacking in his hand-muzzle before wandering next to his best friend and peering down at the kid in question. “Aww, Boss you make the cutest kids!"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Firing them was always an option, and Draxum wondered why he had yet to do it. If the application process of replacing them wasn't so annoyingly long he would fire them both right here and now.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"C'mon Boss, go tuck the 'lil guy in!"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I will do no such thing. He is filthy--he should have removed himself hours ago."  Draxum crossed his arms but subconsciously kept his voice low.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For some reason, Huginn started cooing again and Muninn seemed to agree with his comment of "That's adorable."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"What is it about this whole situation that creates those sounds from you?" Draxum, once again, felt like he was missing something.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"He wants to spend time with his Dad, Boss. He didn't want to leave."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"And?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"It's </span>
  <em>
    <span>cute,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Boss."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, according to, like, every single piece of media about teenagers that should be impossible! Junior is really trying to connect with you."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum narrowed his eyes at the slumbering teen, pondering the tactical advantages to "connecting" with his minion. If it continuously produced results in Draxum's goals, then he would continue allowing Donatello to accompany him in the lab. Besides, the child did prove an adequate conversationalist capable of not only keeping up with Draxum's intellect and ideas, but in leading his own. All things Draxum was not used to.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was….weird. But, perhaps, not unwelcome?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"So what are we gonna do with the kid?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Right. The issue at hand.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum quietly approached Donatello, watching for any signs of deception and eavesdropping in the teen before quickly realizing that the turtle was, without a doubt, still asleep. He glanced at Muninn for any guidance before quickly averting his gaze, remembering his Goyle's usual "advice" for his parenting style. He lightly knocked on the teen's shell, careful to not use his full strength.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Mmmrrph?" Donnie intelligently asked, curling a little closer to the desk.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"....Get up."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie immediately jolted, falling out of his chair and onto the floor. He quickly turned to stare fearfully at the sheep man, who stared back in genuine shock.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"D-Dad!" The turtle gasped out, coming to his senses. He lifted a palm to rub at his bleary eyes. "I… I don't know what--"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum swiftly kneeled at his startled son's legs and grabbed at his arm before it could reach his face. "Your hands are filthy."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Wha--oh!" Donnie lethargically looked at his oil covered hand. "Right."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>At a more even eye level, Draxum could see that the child was equal parts embarrassed at his fear and (finally) exhausted from his day. Draxum spent only a moment wondering what he did wrong to achieve the response he got before slowly standing up, guiding Donatello up with him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"You are exhausted. Wash up and rest."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie tiredly groaned at the command and Draxum saw the way his other minions took pity on the child. Right, he needed to choose his words carefully.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>".....we can continue the projects tomorrow." He added, stopping the child’s other hand from interacting with his face.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie paused as he processed his father's words before a tired but excited smile stretched across his face. "Alright, sure."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The turtle tiredly re-equipped his exo-shell with practiced ease and speed before slowly but surely stumbling out of the lab. Huginn and Muninn immediately volunteered to accompany him, flying around him in herding patterns to keep him from crashing into a wall and gabbering about something or another. At the entrance of the lab, Donnie paused to offer a quiet "Night" over his shoulder before leaving Draxum's sight.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Controlling his child without direct commands wasn't as difficult as Draxum originally thought, as long as he could identify what Donatello was interested in he could use it to his advantage. And the teen would likely never catch on, as long as he was satisfied. While it was annoying that Draxum had to make sure he wasn't being betrayed in addition to supervising the turtle, he would be lying if he said he outright hated the kid anymore. Donatello was going to be, and already was, a beneficial team member, and for that Draxum aimed to keep him for as long as was necessary.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Donatello, admiring a lab desk: Science is a church and I am but a lamb.<br/>Draxum: Yo Shakespeare it's a fucking table<br/>-Deleted scene</p><p>Yeah this whole chapter was basically nothing but filler, which I was hoping to avoid, but I didn't want to cut anything due to the amount of set up the next arc required... I hope I was able to explain the complicated matters of grief and it's diversity because that's basically the whole point of this fic lmao. </p><p>-</p><p>SPEAKING OF THE FUTURE, I have been having an interesting year and will not be updating for....a while. I wasn't supposed to be publishing this chapter today but... I am weak.</p><p>Thank you everyone, I look forward to being able to share the next arc with y'all!</p><p>OH and fun fact: we're about halfway there!.</p><p>Edit notes: Thought about deleting ^^^^^ that but I'm keeping it as a funny reminder of the time I updated a Ninja Turtle during an actual personal crisis LMAO. Oh and also how I thought chapter 6 was halfway. Fun times.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Fight or Flight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>--Fun fact time--</p><p>There is a third response to fear: Freeze.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Since the reveal of Donnie's head trauma and the consequences of said trauma, Operation: Get Donnie had to update to accommodate the new information. Hashing out the details was tricky now that they knew Don genuinely believed whatever story the Baron had given him, they each knew how strong the softshell's loyalty really was. The challenge ahead of them was going to be far greater than their original theory.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In addition to this, it had been a few days since The Reveal and the grief of failure and loss had finally caught up to Splinter. The loss the old rat felt as a parent settled deep next to his heart, and all of his fears of failure and his battles of parental anxiety ate at him at night. His sons understood, as it ate at all of them. But their griefs were different despite revolving around the same loss, and Splinter retreated.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nowadays the rat's body and mind finally caught up to him and he had spent the most recent hours catching up on the rest he very desperately needed and neglected since the night his son went missing. He didn't have the energy to recognize what he was experiencing. His family did and had an unspoken agreement to leave him be for now. April simply offered more of her assistance in family matters to allow him the slack he needed, and they all kept an eye on him. He wasn’t done fighting, lethargy or no, especially where Draxum was involved.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Regardless of their personal vendettas against the enemy in question, it was decided to lightly follow their father’s lead. They all felt they were deserving of a break to process, adjust, and simply rest after the two weeks of uncertainty. And then, business as usual, as if anything could be usual in a broken family.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Unsurprisingly, it was the youngest who bounced back first--literally. He dug through his room to find Donnie's gift of an inflatable safety suit and bounced his way into his presentation he demanded to have in an effort to keep himself and his family engaged. He had spent the previous days sitting on the floor of his room silently, and to the surprise of his worrisome brothers he was not simply recovering. No, he was thinking of the aforementioned consequences of his brother’s amnesia, and what they could possibly do to combat a misled brain.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If Donnie wasn’t here to do it, somebody had to. And if it had to be the resident artist, so be it. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey had grabbed a whiteboard from the currently dusting lab ("Donnie won't need this old math when he gets back, right?”) and wrote notes based on the interactions they had managed to have with their brother, grilling each family member he lined up for details.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"We are in Phase 3 of Operation: Get Donnie, and if I know anything about phases--which I don’t--it’s time to change the strategy!" </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When they were younger, Donatello once told Mikey he was destined to be one of the greats in art--not because of his namesake, but because of his ability in problem-solving. Art naturally hits a lot of blocks, there’s an entire state of mind to describe it, and it was up to the artist to rationalize and attack where necessary. Artists and programmers were similar in that aspect, and at the time Mikey was thrilled to simply be in any way similar to someone as cool as his brother. Now, years later, Michelangelo Splinterson was determined to make the same brother proud.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So, the problem: This Whole Situation.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Another problem: The morale in the family was unacceptably low.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Hence, the bouncy suit.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh Mikey, we-"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Ahem, I spent two hours in psych forums, Raphael--it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Doctor</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"...Right. Eh, we already decided we gotta talk to Dee." Raph hesitantly spoke up, not really wanting to dissuade his little brother. It was the most active anyone in the family had been since The Reveal came to light.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes but </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Whatever we've been saying hasn't been working--we need to talk </span>
  <em>
    <span>to</span>
  </em>
  <span> Donnie not </span>
  <em>
    <span>at</span>
  </em>
  <span> him." Mikey stressed his words in hopes to make his point clear.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo looked out at what was left of his family: two brothers and a human he long thought of as a sister, plus Mayhem. April gave him an encouraging smile at his efforts, her ankle still wrapped and on the mend; well enough to walk around on her own no matter what Leonardo and Mayhem said (or barked) otherwise. Mikey admired her strength.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph had a stressed expression on his face as he thought--this was clearly not the first time he had been thinking about a new strategy to fix everything either. But of course he kept it to himself; that's why Mikey called the family meeting in the first place. If he had to hold the family together solely with his bare hands alone then he would do it in a heartbeat because he loved each and every one of them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>...Each and every one of them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey took notes accordingly, bouncing between the board and his audience as Raphael and April recounted their interactions with Donnie as the first to arrive on the scene. Raph absent-mindedly pointed out how up until now they had been fighting under the pretense that Don had been under some form of mind-control and Mikey enthusiastically scribbled down "Not brainwashed, still Donnie" among the growing list of Do's and Don't's.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Given the small amount of time actually spent with Donnie, Raph quickly ran out of things to add; April taking the lead to point out how Leonardo was able to get Donnie to actually talk back. Mikey felt like this detail was important--that none of them had actually gotten a real chance to get their brother to talk to them, except for Leo. And it made perfect sense--Leo and Donnie were close not just in age and birthdays, but in heart as well. He beamed at his striped brother for more details.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On his side of April, arms crossed and averting eye contact, Leonardo just looked tired and unconnected. He often slept odd hours, but he looked more tired than usual. Under his blue mask, there was no doubt to be shadows. Mayhem seemed to cringe sympathetically as the family turned to Leo, who very obviously didn't want to talk about this right now. He quickly softened his glare into a more tired but casual slouch at the bright and expectant eyes of his little brother.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I already said everything that happened. He said he didn't know us, and that we couldn't stop him." He shrugged, "That's it."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone quickly sent each other worried looks at that. Leo always found ways to cope, usually by masking his fear with quips and jokes, but since their battle against Donnie and Draxum he had been acting...strange. Well, more strange than the slightly off-Leo he had displayed up until now. There was obviously something weighing on his mind, something more than just….This whole situation. And it was a common fear that it was changing him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed</span>
  </em>
  <span> him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On the other hand, in his defense, they all had to find new ways to cope. The situation they were in was unique and difficult. The best they could do in this moment was keep an eye out, and an ear open. Or, in Michelangelo’s case, prepare to razzmatazz the team morale back up.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Bros," A flying purple blur zoomed into the fray, unknowingly halting Mikey’s plan to further utilize his Donnie gift. "The Donnie Crime Detector in section Z-12 has been activated!"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Said "bros" stared vacantly at the drone as Mikey recapped his marker. Raphael squinted in confusion. "The what now?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. sighed, despite not having lungs to do so. It was very plausible that Donatello programmed him with such an attitude for the tactical advantage of being relatable to the genius. "Something triggered the D (for Donnie) beacon in Area Z Sector 12." S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. paused to see their stares unchanged. "The scanner in the woods saw the sheep dude and Donnie."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The group perked up and groaned simultaneously. "Can't you Purple Team Nerds just get to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>point</span>
  </em>
  <span>?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Whoa. Hey, wait." Raph stopped April as she stood.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't you dare, I'm going." She immediately warned him, ignoring Mayhem’s whining at her side, his tail swishing anxiously.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I know, just…. Take it easy out there today okay?" Raph looked like he very much wanted to forbid her from joining today, yet he knew that she needed to be with them. "Don's a loose cannon, Pop’s….out of commission today, and we need you safe."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>April's determined, ready-to-pick-a-fight expression melted into a softer one at the big lug's worried face. "I'll be careful. You haven't even seen loose cannon yet."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Y’know, that doesn't sound like something a careful person would say." Leo pointed out with a tired smirk, prompting April to stick her tongue out at him in retaliation.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright. Right. S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., keep an eye on Pop and text me the location of...whatever you said." Raph requested as the little drone saluted with his front rotor.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"On it, brah!"</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The serenity of the secluded wilderness of the woods, away from the bustle and eyes of New York City, was interrupted by a pink portal manifesting and allowing passage of two shadows. Donatello glanced around them in interest and mild paranoia, expecting to feel some kind of culture shock from the stark openness. It was a sure change from the castle and topside city they usually frequented, and he had spent a large amount of the past couple days in the labs fixing the shell on his back. He wasn’t one to crave the outside world, but even he had to admit they spent a lot of time away from spaces such as this.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Huginn suddenly took a deep breath from his perch on Donatello's shoulder. The genius flinched as his thought process was rudely halted, irritated at the volume and closeness of the sound. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Ahhhhhh…” Huginn sighed, oblivious, “Nothing beats fresh surface air, amiright?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Muninn sneezed from his perch on Draxum's opposite shoulder, sniffling pathetically as his boss cringed. "I bink I'mballerzic."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello rolled his eyes and returned his eyes to the sights they stepped in. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I must say," Donnie slowly felt his guard lower as he gazed at the wilderness, an easygoing smile spreading across his face. He curiously donned his goggles to study the various plants and insects around him. "it is nice to feel a genuine breeze every once in a while."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"This will be our future." Draxum promised, also enjoying the feeling of an organic breeze through his hair. He scanned the surface with a cold eye, his habitual mind focusing on two facts: there was plenty of this wide open land on the surface, and yet his people suffered the way they did. Once again, he knew only he had the drive to change anything.  "All of this will be free to experience."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As Draxum lamented the luxury of something as simple as an afternoon breeze, Donatello couldn't help but follow his father in noticing the sheer amount of space on the surface. Why were they shunned beneath it all? Donnie lowered his goggles back down as his attention was piqued at the faraway bark of a dog.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>...It is beautiful up here. Calm, friendly… almost nostalgic, like a dream…. The sunshine feels nice.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, you alright there Junior?" Huginn asked softly, noticing Donatello's faraway look.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie blinked and pursed his mouth, his train of thought derailed and gone. He nodded and turned back to the group, ready for the mission. He shouldn't waste time enjoying temporary bliss when they could be fighting to make it permanent.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"So… where are our flame-headed allies?" The teen asked curiously, noticing the distinct lack of the humans...if that's what they were. He was still mildly unclear on that fact. Normal humans usually get injured when they’re on fire 24/7. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Usually.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baron Draxum frowned and turned away at the mention of them, walking down the path. "Slacking." He answered simply.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"The flu's goin’ around." Huginn translated in a whisper to Don's ear.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello hummed, used to his father’s moods on the subject and ultimately uncaring if the Foot made it or not. Though he had to admit he appreciated the backup for when the search inevitably goes south and the antagonists appear. Those mutants (including the human, who definitely hits with the strength of a mutant) were currently at a 100% attendance rate for missions like these. However, the lack of data points did offer some chance of variety. Either way, he knew now to not underestimate any of them, nor to let his guard down for even a second.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was going to be different this time, Donatello could feel it. The opposition were powerful creatures capable of great mystic properties that, though he hated to admit it, Donnie still didn’t totally understand. But now, Donatello was back in the game, with a Battle Shell so expertly fixed that it was visually impossible to tell it was ever dented in the first place. His confidence was higher than ever before--memories or not he felt he was at his prime. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He preemptively drew and expanded his weapon, placing his hands at the standard holds for quick and efficient movement. When push inevitably comes to shove, Donatello will not hesitate to take them down.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Mad Dogs rushed immediately to the scene with directions supplied by S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., taking the Turtle Tank to cross the great expanse of the familiar city before reaching the beacon pinged in the wilderness. While Raphael parked the tank, Mikey smiled nostalgically as he recognized more and more trees and paths--Cuddle Cakes Puppy Resort should be nearby if he remembered correctly. He had a fleeting wish to visit, but it soured at the thought of just the few of them being present. Besides, his bouncy suit probably wouldn't play well with equally bouncy puppies.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe… later, they could all go hang out with Todd. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>As a family.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>With that thought, Michelangelo and his family jumped out of their lost brother’s most beloved accomplishment, tensions high. Raphael dropped off the human from one shoulder and his exhausted brother from the other as Mikey boinged into a walk and wandered to a nearby tree. He “ooh”ed as he noticed a caterpillar making its climb. Normally, this would be fun fact time. Mikey’s content smile trembled, but he held on with a determined fire in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>April, despite the wrapped ankle, made sure to keep a spring in her step as she joined the excited turtle, Mayhem scampering after her. Raphael sighed, feeling better knowing Mayhem was here to watch her like a hawk. If anyone could be trusted with April’s wellbeing, it was Mayhem. Leonardo, as he slid off his perch on his brother's shoulder, shot Raph a smile in thanks but felt a frown melt across his face instead at the sight of his big brother's worried look. Leo quickly recovered with a smirk and a good-natured elbow into his brother's arm.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm fine, bro. Just a little tired. Get that worried look off your face." He tried to be as convincing as possible. “You’re gonna get wrinkles at, like, 18.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph could certainly feel the wrinkles setting in as his expression remained unchanged. If anything, he looked even more troubled. "If you're sure…” He responded, unconvinced. “Y'know you can talk to me about anything, right?" He paused to watch Leo sweat, "Or Mike. He's got that…. Doctor thing goin on."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leonardo's act dropped for a moment and he nodded, looking as if he had the world on his shoulders. Raphael understood the feeling. He hoped as deeply as he could that Leo would at least talk to someone, even if it wasn’t him. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>...He would like it to be him, though, if he was being honest. Isn’t that what leaders do? Take care of their own? Isn’t that what big brothers do? Is he failing more than just Donnie?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Was he really failing them all?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Take a breath, don’t get weird here.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Raphael followed his own advice and counted in his head as he walked forward, hiding his turmoil as much as he could.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t see the irony yet.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So, like a good leader / big brother, Raph rounded up his team and stressed his ever-growing importance on pairing up and sticking together. Just because Draxum didn’t appear all that interested in kidnapping them all one by one like they originally feared didn’t mean they wouldn’t be in deep trouble if they were singled out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>(</span>
  <em>
    <span>Donnie was singled out. April was singled out.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Raphael thought darkly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not now.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Raphael argued back.)</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He began planning out how the team would be split. April and Mayhem were a package deal, but Raph did not feel comfortable leaving them on their own. No offense to Mayhem, but being the newest member </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> no apparent capability to speak didn’t grant him the same rank as April. Raphael could see a kind of intelligence behind the weird Yokai’s eyes, but for now he was in “pet status” as Donnie had once said.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Cue one of the many instances in which Raphael simply missed his brother so much it </span>
  <em>
    <span>ached</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He knew he wasn’t the only one. He glanced back over to Leo lethargically cracking a joke to Mikey and April. Raph, of course, was willing to be patient but Leo needed to talk about this whole situation. Next to Leo, Mikey and April kept the mood the highest with their determined faces, glancing at each other to feed off their own energy. As Raphael combed his eyes over his Team the slider really did seem to be perfectly fine, like nothing had happened.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However, Raph wasn’t about to fall for that--he knew his brother. He sent a look to say so. Leo met his gaze mid-laugh and froze, seeming to already catch on to what Raph was planning. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Angelo.” He quickly threw an arm around his little brother and shot him his signature award-winning smile; Face Man role initiated. “My number one hype man, first dibs on teaming with Primetime? Ehh? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ehh?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey gave a confused look, having been expecting to group up with April today, but quickly beamed at the temptation. Any opportunity to spend quality bonding time with his brother, Mikey would always take. He missed the unconvincing smile Leo shot their leader when he agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Raph tried to not sound offended, “April, Mayhem, you’re with me!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, why does Leo get to hog Mikey?” April fake pouted, her upturned smile giving her away. Leo simply stuck his tongue out at her in retaliation.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The team quickly designated one phone per squad and split; Leo admittedly felt bad about blowing his brother off. Raphael simply wanted an insight into his mind and thought process, but Leonardo simply hadn’t fully uncovered what said thought process was; everything was too… abstract. He knew how he felt, and he knew what he needed to look out for--but explaining that to his already stressing leader and brother? No, he didn’t want to do that, not yet. Not until he had a better grasp on what he would even say.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>However…He looked back at Mikey, recalling the family meeting they left and taking note of the return of Don's gift to him. Leo had a responsibility here. He didn’t want it. Mike was a smart kid, but Leo had the suspicion that his little brother would struggle to keep his too-large heart from blinding him from the truth. It was going to get him into trouble one day.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>No, Leonardo had to say something, before Mikey got hurt. He only hoped he didn’t turn out to be the one to accidentally hurt him first. He rubbed his neck as he followed Mikey’s lead, stealthily muting both ends of the speakerphone in his hand as Raph and April chatted amongst themselves. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Two minutes wouldn’t hurt.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo struggled with the decision for a couple of seconds, the turmoil evident in the way he glanced around fitfully. "Hey, Mike… Can I, uh, talk to you for a little bit?" Leo asked in a low, careful voice, anxious.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey paused in his admiration of the scenery around them to look back at Leo. He immediately stopped walking, so unused to seeing his champion of a brother so….unsure, so…. Timid.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"It's important." Leo stressed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"You can talk to me about anything, even if it's not important." Mikey soothed with a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Heh, I know, Mikey, it's just…" Leo looked around the environment, as if it would give him a clue on how to explain.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"....is this about….Donnie?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo looked very uncomfortable at the question--or was it the hesitation that made him uncomfortable? Mikey wondered when he had begun to struggle on the name, and when it started to hurt to speak their brother's name. He simply could not recall when that change started.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"It's about the…. Situation." Leo compromised. Michelangelo wasn't sure what the compromise was. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Mikey asked, concerned.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo cringed, struggling with his words and building the courage to speak the beginnings of his concerns into existence. “It’s just… listen, Donnie would…. never work for Draxum, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Right.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leonardo nodded, ignoring his brother’s raised eyebrow. “And Donnie would never fight us like that, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“...Leo?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry, I just…” Leo crossed his arms and hitched his shoulders higher and higher with every second, looking anywhere but at Mikey, “..think we should be treating them...differently….” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“....’them’?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo sighed and struggled to explain himself, seconds passed before he gathered the courage to answer: “Donnie and…. the new Donnie.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“But... that’s both Donnie?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s—“ Leo sighed, deeming that a battle for a later date. He needed to focus on what was more important. "I'm just saying...Donnie would never do those things."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey couldn't help but feel incredibly confused. He had the feeling that despite talking about the same person and the same problem, they were somehow talking about two completely different things--different philosophies. What exactly was going through Leo’s head and why did it sound like he had already buried Donnie?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo groaned and rubbed his face, "I’m...sorry Mike, I guess I'm not making sense… I don't know how to explain…." He sighed and grabbed his little brother's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Listen, forget it, just… promise you'll be careful out there, alright?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey studied his brother, seeing the turmoil and defeat on his favorite champion's face. "Leo, don’t worry I’m not a bab-"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Mikey. Please. It’s not about you, it’s…. It’s about me. I’m having a rare overprotective big brother moment and I'll apologize for it later. Just tell me you’ll be careful.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey watched his big brother bow his head from his view and felt how his hands shook on his shoulders. “...Alright. I’ll be careful.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo nodded and attempted an easygoing smile as he straightened up. They both knew it was fake.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, good, yeah, vamanos! To find some bad guys to punch!" Leo tried to hype, rubbing Mikey's head playfully like he liked, but Mikey couldn't help the emotions he felt at his brother's words.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bad guys…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Could Mikey realistically apply that Donnie?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>...No. He didn't think any of them could.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>….Wait a minute.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Did….you mute Raph and April?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo cursed, panickedly fumbling to unmute the phone to immediate yelling and battle sounds. Both brothers paled as they looked at each other before yelling and rushing to their family’s aid, Leo immediately unsheathing his ōdachi. Mikey filed their discussion in the back of his mind, sending an unsure glance at his now-panicking big brother.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The new problem: Leonardo had developed a fearful expectation in Donnie’s new condition--and it was fed by their limited experience with both “new” Donnie and said condition. He was placing his worry on how Donnie would never, he didn't seem to realize how out of character he was acting in turn. Mikey knew he needed to find a plan fast, lest he lose another brother to the accident that started the entire ordeal. Mikey schooled his expression and got his head back into the game.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was going to be different this time, Michelangelo was going to make it different.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello gasped as he avoided another baseball bat swing, using his momentum to roll and gain distance. He sent the human a glare. Just as predicted, they simply could not go a single mission without the opposition just </span>
  <em>
    <span>conveniently</span>
  </em>
  <span> being in the area. How did these guys track them so expertly so often? And now there was a teleporting….cat? Donatello made a mental note to grill his father about that one later.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He sent a quick wellness check glance at his father who once again held the front lines against Big Red. Donnie wasn’t going to complain--the big guy terrified him with his size, edge, and mystic properties. Sure, Donatello could totally take him but… Baron Draxum can have that fight for now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, given their last encounter, Donatello had to say he was disappointed in the battle currently taking place on the other side of the field. The snapping turtle seemed very distracted, prioritizing defense over offense. It looked like he was holding something...</span>
  <em>
    <span>was he on the phone in battle?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Was that out of character for him? Don felt like it was.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He heard the telltale sound of a teleporting whatever-animal-it-was behind him, followed by an “uh-oh” from the oh-so-helpful Goyle still on his shoulder. Donnie turned and watched the creature and human appear and rush him, the human brandishing an ordinary baseball bat. And yet, Donatello felt just as fearful of it as he had felt towards the turtles’ weapons.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Focus, ‘Tello.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He reminded himself.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As he prepared to turn and block, a pink vine crashed towards the strange duo, forcing the creature to teleport them out of the way and onto clear ground. The creature glared up at Draxum and growled. Huginn fluttered off Donnie’s shoulder to blow a raspberry.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Retrieve the artifact! I will handle the pests.” Draxum commanded the child, startling both Donnie and Huginn to attention as he crushed an alchemic pill in his hand to activate a sharp protective pink shell around his forearms, just in time to block a red mystic punch.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello nodded, ignoring the sounds of protest from the human and quickly leapt onto the same vine that saved him. Just as predicted, his platform immediately began to rise and he lifted his goggles to his face in preparation. Huginn rushed to regroup to his shoulder and shot him a wink. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>On the ground, Draxum pushed back Red and threw a swing at the human and creature, stealing their attention and giving the genius a better window to act. As much as he wanted to fight alongside his father, his personal motivation drove him to compliance. Once that red turtle calls for backup, the mission will be much harder to complete. The mission was important--Yokai lives were counting on it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello felt the personal pull in his heart as he looked out to the expanse of treetops nearing eye level. </span>
  <em>
    <span>His</span>
  </em>
  <span> life was counting on it.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He began the scanning process, his tech quickly scanning the piece given to him and beginning to scan through the space around him for leads. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A blue portal opened above him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello only had time to think of a sarcastic </span>
  <em>
    <span>Great</span>
  </em>
  <span> before the opposing backup fell through and crashed into him, taking all of them to the ground with many different yelps.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello landed harshly on his back, body tensed in a straight line on a reflex as the wind was knocked out of him. Thankfully, his goggles had fallen to his collarbone in their landing so his immediate glare sent at the newcomers on the dirt would not be hidden. It was important to him to showcase exactly how much he loathed the meddling of these opponents. The Blue one sat up to a crawl and glared back with the same heat.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Impact imminent."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Their mandatory hero versus villain moment was interrupted by a robotic voice, followed by a round orange object bouncing off the ground, deflating into a more recognizable orange body, and landing on the ground next to Blue. Orange groaned from the ricochet-like landing.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"We tried to tell you to change in the tank, bro." Blue commented, moving to protectively place himself in front of his brother.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>As if he could protect him from me,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Donatello thought darkly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hey guys, fancy meeting you here!” Huginn helpfully spoke up from his perch, casually resting his head in his paws in feigned interest. “Come here often?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All three turtles took a moment to glare incredulously at the Goyle. "Oh, tough crowd.” Huginn muttered before fluttering off to his spectating other half.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pause before a frantic leader called from the Battle Zone, “Where have you guys been?" There was an audible crackling of mystic energy. “We had a plan!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Orange smiled sheepishly in response. “Sorry Raph!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Baron Draxum held his ground against the antagonists' leader and the teleporting human, yet Donatello knew he needed to hurry up and be useful now lest they were forced to retreat before they could check the area. He just needed to create an opening to do so.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Blue was already moving to stand, gripping his ōdachi and taking the necessary stance to challenge him. Donnie quickly rushed to his feet, bō in his hands and lungs heaving. Orange quickly followed after, looking at him and his brother nervously--something Donnie found odd. Blue cast a single glance to the younger, invested more in keeping track of Donatello.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Must have learned from his little trip last time. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Donnie thought, a devious and satisfied grin creeping onto his face as he remembered their last meeting.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Serves him right.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Blue narrowed his eyes, “Stick close.” he muttered to his teammate.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Orange only swallowed and gave a nervous look to Donnie, as if he was worried for </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Donatello felt his grin fall into a frown as he leveled his stance a little more. So little Orange had faith that Blue could take him. Well, Donatello was anything if consistent. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And consistency says he should strike first.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello lunged forward, his bō clashing into the blade of Blue's ōdachi. The paint on the titanium didn’t even chip. Their glares met before Don pushed Blue back, immediately ducking under the counterattack. Donatello glanced at Orange nearby, fully prepared and seasoned from the last mission to have to fight back another member.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Orange flinched back as their eyes met and almost hesitantly began swinging his kusari fundo. Again, Donatello felt that should be odd. As Blue lunged forward to follow his dodge, Donnie decided he didn’t have time to feel . He couldn’t underestimate them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello deflected another swing of metal and hastily dodged the portal behind him. Blue cursed as his sneak attack was predicted, looking all the more pissed, and feigned to the right to create an opening for himself. It was a move he constantly used on his brothers in basketball, and it worked so often despite it being a strategy staple. Donnie, of course, didn’t remember this. He followed the false lead and tripped over his feet in an attempt to correct his mistake, predictably leaving himself wide open.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Only one of them felt the cut of nostalgia. Blue quickly jumped to exploit the opportunity, moving to instead incapacitate him from the back. Donatello quickly thumbed over a button on the tech bō, activating his own strategy staple.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>One by one his newly fixed mechanical arms made their appearance from their home in his Battle Shell. One grabbing the blade of the weapon; number two supporting by stopping the source: the hand. Blue struggled to push through the mechanical strength.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"C'mon....Donnie....snap...out of it." Leo managed through gritted teeth. "....</span>
  <em>
    <span>if</span>
  </em>
  <span> you're still in there--"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Arm number three shot out to smack Blue in the face, prompting him to flinch back and drop his attack. Number four....smoke and fizzling noises started emitting from the chamber it never emerged from and Donatello immediately spammed the disengage command to prevent the fire hazard he was wearing.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So. Not completely fixed. Noted.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Donnie thought as the last mechanical arm went offline and retreated into his shell. He sent a nervous smile at the recovering swordsturtle, launching to his feet as Blue moved to rush him again.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>While he watched the former formidable middle children, Mikey tried to look for an opening to help, to assist, to speak, to do anything that may fix the solution but all he could do was remember how only two weeks ago these same brothers were protecting each other--they had each other’s backs. Everyone knew to not mess with the middle children, they had a bond unique to them and them only. They might as well be twins.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Now look at them.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Leo constantly put himself on the offense, looking for an opening to exploit or a glimmer of hope that their brother had been playing Draxum this whole time. To an outsider he might appear cold, focused, ruthless but Mikey was starting to realize what Leo was trying to say to him earlier--what Leo's main fear in this whole situation was.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was afraid that the Donnie they knew and loved had been deleted, overwritten by an impostor. Donnie would never turn on Leo like this. Donnie wasn't this villainous turtle before them. And Mikey had a hard time deciding if he should agree or not. What was the right solution to this problem?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>…. Was there a right solution? Can this be saved? </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>….Or was it time to scrap the idea, and start anew? Open a new document, make a new canvas?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello swiped his bō under Leo’s legs, sending him to his back. Mikey swallowed as Leo rolled away, trying to keep distance from the villain pursuing him with a weapon raised and spider legs engaged. He could see fatigue and natural clumsiness stalling Leo’s attempts to stand and defend himself.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey startled himself into action--he couldn’t stand by while his brothers tore each other apart. He needed time to problem solve--to find the perfect solution to this horrible, no good issue but he also had a huge time sensitive problem taking place right in front of him. He couldn’t lose anyone else, and he knew that if Donnie was still in there, he couldn’t lose any of them either.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Get down Junior!" Something else beat Mikey to it; Huginn and Muninn zipped over his head and to Donnie; using all of the strength in their tiny bodies to shove the turtle out of the way. Their efforts moved Donnie a full inch when he had to take a step to correct his balance.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I was in the middle of something!" The teen complained before the sound of yelling reached their location. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All three turtles' attentions moved to watch a large body be rapidly flung to their location. Donatello yelled in alarm before diving to the ground and covering his head, Goyles diving with him. Mikey quickly followed suit while Leonardo jumped up to swing his sword wildly in front of him, pleading to the pizza supreme in the sky for a portal to aid his brother. Blue energy blipped in then back out of existence, breaking apart just as Raphael slammed into him and taking them both into a nearby tree. Leaves scattered to the ground from the impact, fluttering down peacefully as if to purposefully contrast the fight they witnessed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"No!" The youngest brother despaired at the scene, tears glazing his eyes. Not again, not like this. Before he could finish standing up, Baron Draxum followed the destruction at high speeds, his arms altered to intimidating spears and brandished for an attack.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A small Yokai quickly scampered to the pile of kids, barely making it before Draxum could be in range. Time seemed to still as its eyes met Draxum’s and the pile teleported out of the way, leaving only a tree for Draxum to attack. Even more leaves, in addition to branches and other debris fell to the ground as Draxum slammed into it. He growled, glared at the now-leaning tree before one arm-spear altered back into a hand. With a clench of his fist, mystic energy surrounded the tree and uprooted it completely. When he let it go it toppled with no anchor.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The other members of the fight watched as the tree fell on its side, eyes wide in fear and nerves. The turtle pile teleported back at Leo’s original location and April quickly rushed to pick her pet back up, holding it protectively to her chest at the display.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Your inconvenient meddling has long run its course.” Baron Draxum commented, straightening his posture and brushing leaves and debris from his shoulders. “I should have smothered you all at the beginning.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Well," Leo gingerly removed himself from the pile, holding his arm gently. His teeth gritted in the obvious pain, but he managed a wicked smirk nonetheless. "you didn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael gently stood, shooting a worried glance to the brother that broke his fall and turning to prepare to take as many hits as he needed to prevent Leo from getting even more hurt. “Sucks to suck, Sheepman.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Draxum turned to face the unfortunate reminders of what he considered to be his first, and only, failure. Even then, were they failures when they were working just as intended, just not for him? No, his failure was in losing them to Jitsu.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He peered at his bewildered minions on the ground, Donatello’s eyebrows scrunched in confusion as he stared at the innocent tree on its side. He looked back to the opposing turtles, noticing Raphael inching closer to stand in front of a hurt Leo. The human girl set the agent next to the slider, moving to wield her bat next to Raphael. The youngest turtle had yet to pick himself off the ground, watching his teammates with a worried and torn expression.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Pathetic, all of them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to his minions, “Focus on the artifact. I will not accept any more failures today.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha--Wait, Donnie don’t--” was all Raph got out before Draxum rushed them, brandishing his arm spears for an attack.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raphael readied his stance and reached out with his mystic powers to catch Draxum’s attack in his protective mystic shield. He gritted his teeth as he was pushed back, heels digging into the earth. April quickly took her opportunity to leap onto his shell and jump from his shoulder for a classic April O’Neil bat attack.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey quickly rushed to his feet as Draxum moved for a vine attack in retaliation, toppling Raph’s mystic form and forcing him to grab April and jump back from a swipe. Leo picked up the exhausted Mayhem from the ground, moving them both further away from the fight and thus making them a target for Draxum to exploit. Raphael quickly moved to keep himself and April in between Draxum and his spent family.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey looked across the Battle Zone to his villain brother, watching him stand and watch the battle with a reluctant stiffness before turning to do as he was told. Mikey quickly rushed to catch up, he couldn’t let Donnie slip through his fingers again . One of the gargoyle creatures quickly spotted him and whispered a warning to Donatello before flying from his shoulders, ready to aid where they could.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie spun and pointed his bō at Mikey, fully ready to pick up where they left off. Mikey stopped in his tracks and spun his weapon nervously. The stress in the small turtle was more than he wanted to handle, why did they always get stuck fighting?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He didn't want to fight his brother.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo clenched his eyes shut as he finally made a move with his weapon, spinning it as fast as he could in front of him and willing the flames to manifest . Large, unanticipated flames began their circle around his hostile brother, trapping him in a hollow pillar of fire and ceasing his prepared onslaught before anyone could get hurt.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donnie’s eyes widened at the attack and couldn’t help but notice how resourceful that move had been--he was effectively trapped and immobilized until his father either won or lost the battle.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Well, Donatello was sure that was the intention, had he not a trick of his own. He quickly twisted the grip of his tech bō and a nozzle manifested at the tip. He spun the reformatted weapon behind and around him as many times as it required for the fire to fall. Just as fast as he was contained, the flames became a victim to his extinguisher bō. His eyes met Orange’s as the reds and yellows parted, and the moment that opening appeared, Donatello launched from the fiery prison. He tripped in his haste and fell to the ground, mechanical limbs dragging him further away from the heat. He turned and watched as the pillar of swirling fire ceased upon Orange’s cancellation of his swings.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That was….terrifying.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello sent a frantic glance at the fires still smoldering beside him, and another at the kusari fundo in Michaelangelo’s hands. Mikey quickly willed the remaining fires to extinguish with a power he did not yet recognize he had. He could tell from the look on Donnie's face alone that he was entering that competitive mindspace that the genius usually entered during combat, where he was determined to win and look cool doing so. Just like he predicted, Donnie’s famously wicked expression settled his face into a smirk as he slowly stood and rolled his shoulders in intimidation.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Flame, your tool of choice?” A quick swipe with his thumb hit the extinguish switch to </span>
  <em>
    <span>arson</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and an intimidation flame burst from the now fire staff mode weapon. He spun it once for dramatic effect, the flames trailing the nozzle in a perfect circle. “How would you fair to fight fire with fire?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“That,” Mikey attempted to smile, coming up with an uneasy grimace instead as he tried to appeal to the mad scientist. “sounds like a hazard.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Only for you.” And with that, Donatello advanced on the artist.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was no ignoring it--this was his brother. Straight down to his core, this was Donatello. And Mikey could never fight him, not for realsies. Furthermore, Mikey understood now what he needed to do in the light of his talk with Leo earlier. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Donnie would never do that,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he remembered.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No. Donnie wouldn't.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mikey steeled his nerves and swallowed his resolve. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And I'll prove it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped spinning his weapon and dropped it to the ground, standing up tall and brave despite the nerves. He saw a flash of confusion in Don’s eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>This was Donnie, and Donnie could never hurt him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>….he hoped.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph watched in horror as his stolen brother rushed his baby brother, feeling as if time was simply moving too painfully slowly yet not allowing him to do anything. He was going to be forced to sit and watch his brothers tear each other apart and he either is going to be forever a standby or he will have to choose which to defend. His baby brother's form immediately stiffened, his eyes got wide as Donnie's swing got closer and closer, never for a second looking as if he was going to protect himself.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And then, Mikey dropped his weapon.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Why was his life such a nightmare?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“MIKEY!” Raphael yelled, despair painfully evident on his face. Leo and April quickly followed suit.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph quickly parried a Draxum attack and smashed his tonfas together as he rushed ahead. “I need a portal!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t look behind him as he ran forward, his fists sparking with red power as he kept his eyes on his brothers. He knew he wouldn’t have to check for Leo’s participation. The blue portal flickered weakly before opening in full power,  just as he knew it would. Leo may be a beginner, but he always came through where it really counted. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Raph lunged through the portal, red mystic power surrounding his fists as he was transported into the potential Fratricide-Battle Zone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The Universe clearly wanted him to make a choice. He made a choice. He chose his brothers, and that applied to both of them. He threw himself into the fray, aiming solely to protect even at the cost of himself. The red mystic power enveloped his whole being, masking the tears in his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait!--” Mikey had started to say as his biggest brother barreled through the portal, form even larger in its mystic projection.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Donatello immediately had a face of panic as he watched the spectacle,..</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mikey also made a choice. The same one Raph made just two seconds earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo leaped in between his brothers, the stress making the world appear to be stuck in slow motion. Slowly, Donnie turned to fully face the large mystic Raph, eyes wide in panic. His weapon reconfigured piece by piece into something with more spikes and rockets. Raphael's momentum could not be stopped, and his eyes widened as his babiest brother moved into the line of fire. As quickly as he could in the slow motion world, he dropped his attack and cancelled his mystic form. But his momentum could not be stopped. Donnie seemed to take note of Mikey's act as well, just as a simple phrase sounded out:</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Impact imminent."</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All of a sudden, it was like everything was now moving too fast. The suit inflated seconds before Raphael made contact, bouncing off the strange fabric and the force pushing Mikey backwards, directly into Donnie. Hugin and Munin quickly zipped from the danger; Donatello made a move to dodge with them. As he was flung towards him, Mikey instinctively latched onto the first arm he could find and he took Donnie with him into the just-fallen tree. Donatello fought to be freed, swinging his spiked weapon with reckless abandon.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pop, and Mikey only had a moment to look down at the hole in his suit before he and Donnie were blown into the air like a balloon, moving further and further away from the established Battle Zone. His grip on the other turtle was solid, fueled by stress, sorrow, adrenaline, and fear.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>For the second time, in such a short span of time, Raphael was looking at an empty space where brothers used to be.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We're kickstarting the new arc now. I've been planning the upcoming chapters since the beginning, and it still had a lot of challenges I wasn't expecting.</p><p>I understand now why shows will have episodes to focus on one single character arc before moving onto the next--juggling multiple character arcs at once is a nightmare, actually.</p><p>I'm starting to feel kind of bad for the emotions I have placed on the boys. Next chapter will be more balanced I think, the chaos just happened to be twice the length it was supposed to be and made the original chapter get split into two. All the fun dialogue is in the next one. :3</p><p>It is so good to be back.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Delicate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>(adjective) requiring sensitive or careful handling.<br/>Example: "The situation called for a delicate touch."</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The concept of weightlessness wasn’t foreign to Michelangelo. As the skateboarder, ballet master, and ninja hero he was, he spent too much of his time in the air doing awesome tricks to be afraid of something as comfortable as heights. Falling was also not on his list of fears; his activities were always going to put him at risk to fall. He never let go of the confidence that he would always pick himself back up, or be picked up when he couldn’t muster the strength.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No matter what.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, as he and his brother were flung into the sky by the force of bounce, wind, and chaos alike, Michelangelo was afraid. His eyes were clenched shut, unable to fathom the sky and ground swirling around them nor the distance between the dirt and their shells. The sound of his own screams overwhelmed even his own senses, but the sound of his brother’s screams was what was difficult to bear. Even when on opposing sides, Mikey looked to his brother for protection.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, the force of gravity pulled the two bodies to the Earth, the wind biting at their faces and silencing their lungs. Mikey kept his iron grip on his brother for as long as he could, but the scratch of the branches and leaves pulled them apart as trees below slowed their travel. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo wasn’t going to be the only one sore after today.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey landed with a thud, not bouncing even an inch. The dirt plumed from the force and he groaned at the harsh landing. He felt as if his day had been nothing but this. He had to take as many breaths as his lungs could muster, lest the lack of oxygen steal his consciousness too, and coughed when dust found its way into his windpipe. Michael gently lifted himself up and looked at his suit in disdain. It may not have protected him the way it was meant to, but it was obvious in the way it caught on the trees in their descent that it did help break his fall. He spotted the hole in the side, bigger now, and sighed at the damage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sorry Donnie…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey startled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Where is Donnie?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Immediately and instinctively he lunged to the side and landed with another harsh thud. A tech bō swung down where he had been sitting, striking into the earth and bringing up more dust. Donatello glared down at him from the shadows of the trees around them. He, like Mikey, had a few new scratches and bruises from the fall; he panted in anger and exhaustion, not even sounding like he had finished catching his breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey wondered if Donnie had allowed himself even a second to recover. The answer was no.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Donnie--” Mikey had to dodge again before he could continue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do not </span>
  <em>
    <span>Donnie</span>
  </em>
  <span> me.” Donatello growled, and Michelangelo couldn’t stop his flinch. “This conundrum is all your fault and I'm not letting you believe you can benefit from this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey barely had a moment to think or plan, but there was something important to be found in his brother’s words. Something was off, beyond the change of sides. “I-I know, just--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey dodged another swing, this time crawling as far away as he could to have the time to stand. The bulk of the ruined suit weighed him down, the scraps tangled in his legs and greatly slowed his natural speed. The thing that got them into this mess and saved him from being majorly hurt in the fall would very quickly be his downfall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“T-Time out! Donnie, please!” Mikey pleaded as he tried desperately to discard his attire. Donatello did not let up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen well, my simpleminded adversary,” Don swung his weapon back into a hold, his hand at the appropriate grip and the length of the bō nearly parallel with the arm stabilizing it. “You’re not getting the upper hand. You have no one to protect you now. ...N-Neither do I... But I’m the one with the weapon, so... </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hah!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Burn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey felt like he could cry as Donatello pointed his tech bō at him in an obvious challenge. Everything was wrong, none of this should have ever happened and Michelangelo knew he didn't have a lot of time to lament the loss of better, kinder times. No, he had to fight for them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey clenched his fists and shook without the comfort of his own weapon he forfeit in the other Battle Zone. He didn’t need it. Regardless of Don’s words, Michelangelo was determined to prove what he saw in the villain before him. It was his brother in there. He had a plan. He knew how to fight his brother. He refused to believe this was anyone other than Donnie . Who also knew how to fight him, so that comfort only lasted so long.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, Mikey was going to have to play every card in his hand if he wanted to succeed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Donnie, stop. I-I’m not fighting you anymore!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Donatello breathed out in a dry chuckle, “no weapon, that’ll take your confidence.” He swung almost casually and narrowly missed the younger’s head. “Kindly explain the thought process of leaving yourself unarmed and defenseless? Your weapon and control is incredible, but… Seriously, how old are you?” His eyes narrowed, a shadow seeming to fall over his face. “....More importantly, what are you hiding?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is it that makes you so comfortable in casting a flame-summoning mystic weapon to the side??” Donatello tightened the grip on his own, unmystic, secretly limited tech before he swung again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“N-Nothing!” Mikey dodged as well as he could, tears blurring his surroundings too much to be reliable. The swing narrowly missed his head and ricocheted off his shell, sending vibrations to his ribs, unharmed but rightfully spooked. Ultimately he tripped on a branch and his legs tangled in the fabric of his ruined gift. He was sent back into the dirt out of breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked up from the shadow of his beloved brother to plead, to try and reason with him, and he saw a familiar expression in Donnie's eyes: fear. That was it! This display of ruthlessness and intimidation was all an act--Donnie was scared of him, of all of them. Given the only memories Don had of them all, Mikey didn’t fault him for that. That had to change first. “I’m not fighting you. Not anymore. Weapon or not, I won’t hurt you, Dee.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For a split second Donnie looked genuinely surprised, and torn. He looked like the kind-hearted brother Mikey grew up with, and Mikey was prepared to chase that fraction of a second for all it was worth even as Donnie schooled himself back into the ruthless minion he was pretending to be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Donnie,” Mikey tried again, “please. You know me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello growled and lashed his arm out, grabbing the collar of the suit Mikey wore and lifted him from the ground, glaring with all of the heat he could muster as if he could be rid of his enemies from looks alone. That managed to wipe that searching look off of Orange’s face. He just knew he was being played by the mutant, why else would the kid pull such a risky move?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know how successful your display is on average, but that isn’t going to work on me.” Donatello hissed in his face. “Da- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Baron Draxum</span>
  </em>
  <span> warned me about you. If you are unwilling to disclose combat secrets to me, I can always bring you to him. You’ve made capturing you too easy, Orange.”</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Battle Zone stood eerily still as the screams of the suddenly flight-capable turtles became more and more faint, until there was nothing left to be heard. Even the ruthless Baron Draxum was transfixed by the chaos, watching his protégé and enemy vanish before his eyes. The whole display had taken only seconds to occur, and yet those seconds seemed slow to a crawl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oooh. That's not good." Huginn deadpanned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Junior!” Muninn wailed, all dramatics and wings flapping in a blur.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t panic!” Huginn reassured his teammate and zipped to the closest individual. "Don't worry! We'll get our turtles back!" He patted her shoulder soothingly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On reflex, April swung her baseball bat at the gargoyle. "Hey! You kidnapped Donnie from us, remember?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Huginn spun in the air for a moment from the jarring wind current produced by the swing and took a second to re-center his flying. He took a breath to dispute, but paused. "....Oh yeah." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael could feel the anxiety dig a hole in his chest. For a moment he was standing on concrete, looking at the vacant spot where Donnie used to be, his purple cellphone slowly clattering to the ground. And then, he was somewhere between the two realities--it was Mikey who was attacked by a vine in front of the used bookstore. But that wasn’t right, Raphael remembered it was Donnie--he was never going to forget that split second of fear he saw on his little brother’s face before he was gone, erased, replaced by Draxum’s puppet. Wait, then why was Mikey missing? He knew Michael was missing. Where did he go? He really needed to get a better buddy system so next time this happens he can--</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>...next time this happens. </span>
  </em>
  <span>That was the thought that broke him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t do this again! </span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Raph! Raphie, hey, take some deep breaths for me, okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael’s eyes snapped open and met Leo’s. Why were his eyes closed? When did he get here? His eyes trailed to the way Leonardo was holding himself--arm tucked close to his body, as if moving caused him pain. Mayhem was curled around his shoulders, drained and limp. The anxious tail swishing was the only sign that he was conscious. The portal sword lay on the ground, and the hand that once held it squeezed Raph’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“C-C’mon, big bro,” Leo’s voice warbled, his face strained, “I need Raph back, think you can page me in?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph's spiral was redirected to bewilderment and he squinted at his brother. “What….does that mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Leonardo breathed out, squeezing Raph’s shoulder again, “No idea. H-Heard…..uh, Donnie said it once and never told me what it meant.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Donnie. Mikey.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Raph’s head shot up and he looked around frantically, startling Leo in the process. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They’re….. Where are they?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“W-We’re gonna find him, okay?” Leo answered, as if he was looking into Raphael’s very thoughts. “I got this, I can--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo shakily grabbed his ōdachi and gingerly stood up. Even hurt, he had the core strength to keep his shoulders steady enough in order to keep Mayhem perched as he turned. Raphael suddenly remembered the impact of his own body crashing into Leo’s, thus creating the injury in the first place. Draxum’s handiwork, yet Raph felt the guilt all the same.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael was working on a payback tally.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo took a stabilizing breath before sloppily swinging his sword in front of them with all the energy of someone who simply wanted to get the action over with. There was a pause and Leonardo clenched his jaw in stress. Nothing. He swung again, and Raph had the delayed thought that the action must hurt Leo’s arm. Still, no portal. Portaling Raph to the fight must’ve taken it out of him. Correction, the fight with Donnie is what took it out of him, Raph’s demand was just the cherry on top.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The guilt swirled in his stomach, getting in line with all the other guilt he hoarded inside of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo panted, a tremor reaching his hands. “I got this. I can do this. I have to do this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“HEY!” April’s abrupt shout startled Raphael. The resident Yokai had turned and taken a step toward his failure creations in their distraction. “Eyes on me, Sheep!” She swung her bat, hitting his protected arm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...What did you just call me?” Draxum wondered aloud, thrown for a loop, before focusing on his panicking henchgoyles. “What are you waiting for, you idiots? Make yourselves useful and find him!” Baron Draxum commanded as he pushed against the bat, forcing April to dodge his prepared swipe. His eyes seemed to glow in the shade of the trees around him, his helmet creating harsh shadows as he moved. His hatred fueled his power and he was prepared to unleash it on the closest organism he could find.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mayhem began to whine from Leo’s shoulders, even in a lethargic state he could sense his human protector in trouble, and Raphael knew he had to make yet another difficult call. One day, when all of this was over and the Donnie issue was solved, Raph decided to go on a permanent vacation and live in the lazy river they made out of the sewers. Consequences were not invited. “Le-Leo, hey, stop.” He stood and placed a comforting hand on Leo’s shell, careful to avoid anywhere he may be hurt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can find them--I could find them right now if,” He swung again, “this,” and again, “would,” and again, “just--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leo… Stop, it’s okay--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s--” Leo stopped to take some deeper breaths, holding in his sobs no matter how much he wanted to let himself fall apart at the seams.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leo…” Raph took an anxious look at April going toe-to-toe with Baron Draxum, and no matter how much faith he had in her he knew how strong the villain was. His eyes travelled to her wrapped ankle, and he was reminded of how fragile they were. “I-I gotta go help April.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Yeah, I know.” Leo shakily responded. He peeked at the apprehensive brother. “It’s okay…. I’m okay. I got Mayhem.” The creature in question gave a brief purr as Leo pat at his head. "I...should grab Mike's weapon, too. He... He'll be mad if we don't have it." He snickered brokenly, "Think he'd laugh if I called him a... </span>
  <em>
    <span>wildfire?</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raphael hesitated at the display and Leo hastily waved him away, taking a breath to fix his fake confidence. Leonardo understood. He genuinely did. They needed to stick together, to get out of the fight they were currently in. And Raphael had to protect what he had now. That’s that leaders, and brothers, do.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leo felt like he didn’t deserve to know that. He’s already failed two.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Mikey could continue to plead, Donatello dropped him to the ground, knocking what little wind was left out of him. The journey to where they were, in addition to the immediate one-sided match Donnie initiated upon landing, took a lot out of a little turtle and his legs easily crumpled beneath him. As Mikey tried to catch his breath, Donatello quickly and efficiently took the slack and ruined fabric of Mikey’s arms and tied them behind his back. Mikey noticed too late and belatedly struggled against the capture by pulling away and whining at the treatment. Donnie’s hands faltered against his will, but his face only hardened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Still playing the kid card, was that all his simpleton mind was capable of--</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"BOX MODE GO!" The kid announced in a panic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wha--Hey!” One moment Donatello had a grasp on the orange turtle, and other it was like the kid’s arms ceased to exist.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A shell slipped through the gaping hole of the strange outfit, the body inside shaking as the shell rattled against the hard dirt trail before stilling. Arms, legs, and head tucked safely inside; body free from its fabric prison. Donatello seethed, fixing his enemy with a glare at the display as he aggressively tossed the familiar fabric to the side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So that is how it's going to be.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can’t stay in there forever!” He kindly informed through gritted teeth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes I can!” The young turtle yelled, and Donatello couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance at the echoey voice, like this was a common thing. He could even feel his eye twitch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Theoretically, Donatello had fought this turtle before the incident, so maybe this was a common strategy. Fine . Donatello twisted the handle of his weapon, seething from the implications that he was being taken off-guard by an old strategy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It won’t protect you, Orange.” Don said dangerously, casting a shadow over the coward; signature hammer bo in hand. “No one is here to bail you out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not fighting you!” The youngest yelled, and Donnie swore he heard his voice break.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello shook his head, </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s playing the kid card—He’s fooling you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Interesting choice, bucko. But surely, you can see I am fighting you .” Donatello lifted the hammer above his head. Gravity only had to do the rest. Surely the brat couldn’t ignore </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kid didn’t emerge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Don lifted an eyebrow and twisted the handle of the hammer again, activating the rockets in the hammer’s head and replacing the blunt hammer head with a hammer-like drill instead. There was an audible whine as the mechanics activated, nobody could ignore that!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Final warning--emerge or face the consequences."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No movement occurred in the cowering box turtle. Wait, a sound…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A sniffle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie's eyes widened and he froze in his stance. Now that he paid attention, the shell was still shaking, and panicked breathing could be heard. …He really was just a kid. Act or not, Orange was a child. And to be fair, the kid had appeared prepared to take his sudden pacifist plan seriously. And what would the act do, anyway, without the others to back him up? It's was too much of a gamble.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the end, he was just a scared kid separated from his family, hiding in the safest place he knew. Missing from his family, </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Counterpoint: kid or not this mutant is undeniably powerful in his mystic ability….</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>...however, he forfeit his weapon. He left himself without offensive capabilities, without backup, and only his own shell for protection….</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And honed with mystic power enough to summon flames seemingly at will. And what else could he be capable of?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He….threw down that weapon. He took a hit meant for me. ...Why?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t have an answer. Donnie groaned at the incoming headache.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> ...Was he really about to crack his shell open? For effectively surrendering, he was innocent. Such an act would not just injure the kid... Donnie cringed as if he were physically struggling with his conscience before he sighed loudly with all the air of his lungs, his intimidating pose dropping. No. He wasn’t going to do that. He could barely rationalize what made him think he was even capable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Alright, genius. New plan?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Don really hated his mind-self sometimes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could easily leave him here--just walk away. Regroup with his father, let the miscreant figure himself out. He would be out of Donatello’s hands; his fate left up to his own survivability.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked up at the path of destruction above him--to the broken branches and fallen leaves. He took note of the soreness of his own body, and rationalized that the kid was likely in a similar state. He had no information on their location--how big the woods were nor how far they landed from the battle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>... This isn’t my responsibility.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Donatello remembered, looking down at the quaking shell. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This is the enemy. An enabler of the humans. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was no longer fooling anyone--not even himself. If he couldn’t find it in him to shatter the kid’s spine, then he already lost the fight in leaving him to the mercy of the forest. With another sigh and a quick flourish he deactivated the rocket hammer and squatted down to tap the shell before him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“....Alright, kid.” He breathed out in a defeated tone, suddenly feeling exhausted from his mental battle with himself, “I propose a temporary truce on account of….. Striking you while unarmed generates a hollow victory. We proceed with no further fighting on either side—deal?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello flinched as the shell rattled briefly, like a bomb about to burst, and the box turtle inside popped out with a tear-stained smile of pure glee. Before Don could even blink, arms were around his shoulders and his personal space was incredibly ignored.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew it! I knew you wouldn’t do it! You’re still good, Donnie, no matter what anyone says!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” He instinctively attempted to flee as the younger childishly nuzzled into his cheek. Was it all a rouse? Was he being captured?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a hug! You remember those, right? Does Dadxum not hug you??”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh,--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“OH. MI. </span>
  <em>
    <span>GOSH</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Orange hugged him tighter, looking as if he was about to burst into more tears. His baby face smushed painfully against his brother’s. “I’ll make up for lost time--you should ask Splinter for his warm fuzzy hugs, those will clear your memory in no time!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Who was Splinter??</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen,” Donatello pried Orange off him, and backed up for distance. “This is a truce. We” he gestured to the two of them and hissed, “are not friends.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Orange simply smiled, eyes sad. “I know…” He perked back up and elbowed the softshell, immediately breaking the invisible barrier Donnie had tried to put up. “Not yet! C’mon, let's look for the Fams together! Maybe I can jog your memory!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie watched as the kid dusted himself off and sprung up from his seat, as if his life hadn’t just been in his hands. Really, where did this energy come from? A full minute ago he was cowering for his life. Donnie couldn’t help but feel an out of place sense of....nostalgia. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Weird.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He stood up as well, squaring his shoulders and used his full height to look down on the younger in authority.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh-oh, Dee put himself in charge.” The Orange one commented with a knowing smirk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I—” Donnie spluttered, wondering how the kid immediately caught him, “Yes. Stop calling me nicknames. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> am the eldest here and</span>
  <em>
    <span> I</span>
  </em>
  <span> am the one who offered the truce.” Don huffed as Orange snickered and stuck his tongue out at him. “Anyway, fine, we walk amicably until we find your weird brothers—I won’t try to capture you if you don’t try to capture me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh, duh. I know what a truce is.” The turtle gave him a snarky look as they began to walk, not even bothering to look for his family. Donatello rolled his eyes as he picked up the slack.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know you—I don’t know how you think.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Orange immediately looked hurt for some reason, “Right…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Great, now Donnie felt like a jerk. And for what? All he did was point out a fact. Why should he feel bad just because some kid he didn’t remember couldn’t accept he was forgotten?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I just had to put it like that… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Donatello groaned inwardly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“....Does… my amnesia actually bother you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh… well, yeah.” Orange shrugged, like it was obvious.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“....Explain. We’re enemies.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Orange’s expression darkened. “We weren’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Don failed a faked surprised tone, knowing exactly where this was going. “Enlighten me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You...really don’t remember me.” It had meant to be a question, but Orange sounded...like he had accepted something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I assume that this is about that brother scheme of yours?” Silence was answer enough. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Predictable.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Donatello sighed as they walked, not meeting his companion’s eyes. “Yeah, wish I could say I was sorry, but I’m not. I’m still not buying it, Orange. It’s—“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have a name.” The kid interrupted with clenched hands, his inflection irritated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello racked his brain for any chance of recalling it on his own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mikey.” The kid stopped walking, glaring at the ground and sighing. “....It’s Mikey.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, Donnie was silent as he filed that information away. He watched the other turtle take a deep breath, pain in his eyes, before continuing to walk. Donatello kept the kid in the corner of his eye, not willing to meet eye contact in his embarrassment but also not willing to give the sulking teen a tactical advantage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“.....Dad has dibs on ‘Orange’.” The turtle—Mikey—explained, uncomfortable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Donnie looked around awkwardly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despite the lack of words, Mikey seemed to hear the underlying apology. “S’ok…” he lied. “Not your fault.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The duo walked in silence as the seconds passed, Donatello looking anywhere that wasn’t Mikey and the kid simply watched the ground underneath them pass them by. Dirt had no awareness of their turmoil. It was going to be an interesting walk back to the fight. Donatello realized how easy the battles had been in comparison to amicable socialization.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>The tree shuddered as it maintained its grip on the earth despite the very large and very spiky shell that had slammed into it. Raphael decided he much preferred city fighting--at least on their own turf he had a better sense in the grid-like layout of the Battle Zone. Where they were now was too unpredictable and random in placement. Honestly, he was just tired of crashing into trees. At least in the City there was the variety of streetlamps, street signs, fire hydrants, and that one sewer wizard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raph cracked a tired eye open to an upside down world. He had to take a moment to get his bearings, the audible cracks of April’s baseball bat and her taunting snapped him back to the fight. He gingerly returned himself back into the right side up world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boss!” The voice of one of Draxum’s gargoyles fluttered to them, though both looked anxious. Raphael felt a wave of sadness as he realized he had started getting used to seeing Donnie with the Goyles--he had expected his little brother to be trailing after them. But Don was nowhere to be seen, neither was Mikey.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draxum growled with all of his frustration as he parried yet another swing from the human girl--he was beginning to think he should’ve waited a decade to make his ooze formula and used her DNA instead of Lou Jitsu’s--just as he found an opening to make a counterattack he was pelted on the shoulder by a rock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Between a rock and a hard place, Draxum?” Leo taunted from the sidelines, visibly sweating yet holding another rock to throw.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as Draxum turned to rid himself of the annoying blue one once and for all, the human girl returned with her backswing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the biggest turtle drag himself back onto his feet, ready to return to the fight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Enough. ” With that command, the Yokai reached all of his power into the stones and sticks around them, swirling them around his person as a shield before exploding the energy, pushing all three remaining fighters to the ground. He turned to glower at his minions, “You are empty-handed. Explain why you have returned at all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can’t find him, Boss!” Huginn fretted, so distraught he was almost not even intimidated by the Baron. Almost.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The surface is so big, and he’s just a little turtle!!” Muninn couldn’t even see the threat through his tears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We never taught him to stay where he was when he got lost! We never taught him what stranger danger meant!” Huginn's words sent Muninn into a screaming spiral.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draxum didn’t even waste time nor energy to roll his eyes. Really, he should learn to expect this lackluster work performance. He simply grabbed both of his useless employees from the air in one hand, cutting their breaths mid-scream, and in the same fluid motion turned to open a portal away from his enemies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> “Ugghh--Hey! Wait!” Raphael stumbled to his feet as the portal manifested and gaped at the retreating scientist. “You...You’re running?”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>That at the very least got Draxum to hesitate crossing the threshold of the portal. He disguised his hesitation as an excuse to roughly deposit his minions onto his shoulder and ignored the way they nursed where they had been gripped. At least they were silent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Raph, </span>
  <em>
    <span>shush</span>
  </em>
  <span>, that’s good for us!” Leo somehow managed to whisper loudly, still holding up his rock of choice should Baron Draxum change his mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draxum turned to regard them with only the corner of his eye, an example of all they were worth to him. “I was in the middle of something when your obsession brought yourselves to me. And now, I have a child to obtain…..” He returned his attention back to the portal. “You should hope I do not find yours.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His hair and waist cape billowed behind him as he vanished from their sight, his parting words sending a chill down their spines. He could hear the human girl shout for him to wait, and he felt a sense of genuine satisfaction as the portal no doubt closed before she could catch up. His mood instantly soured as he scanned his new surroundings, as beautiful as the surface was it all started to look the same to him. More trees, more dirt, really why did the humans feel the need to hog this all? That wasn’t the issue at hand in the moment, though. He had gargoyles huddled on a single shoulder, and a protégé missing in action.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was, of course, the factor of the smallest turtle likely being with him. Draxum racked his brain for what he knew about the orange one. Likely the youngest of the four, possibly naïve because of this. Strangely friendly, which could be exploited as a weakness. He remembered how the youngest’s genuine question at the docks threw him for a loop and realized it could be used as a strength as well. There was the risk that it could be used to restore Donatello’s original memories. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Perhaps the subject was already lost.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draxum gave a curious glance into the depths of the woods.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“....Boss?” Huginn spoke up, watching their fearless leader plot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Draxum narrowed his eyes at the environment, pondering the data he had collected so far on his new project before he wordlessly followed his gaze and wandered deeper into the woods. The Goyles reclaimed their earlier command and fluttered off his shoulder to broaden their search, occasionally yelling for the lost turtle.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The lost children duo kept their mutual awkward silence as they traversed the path of the forest. Mikey kept glancing in between his brother and the distance between the trees, hoping to catch a glance of anyone he may recognize in either subjects. The name had been a blow to Mikey’s morale, but in truth he understood the issue. To Donnie, they were all strangers, and Mikey hadn’t had a chance up until now to reintroduce himself. Despite how painful it was to realize this, Mikey knew he had to appeal to who Donnie thought he was and drag back the person Draxum couldn't delete.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello ignored all of Mikey’s glances, despite seeing every single one of them. He had to keep the enemy in his sight--which was annoying to do while also keeping an eye out for one of their families, in addition to checking his goggles periodically to scan for the artifact they came here for. Statistically speaking, not all of their excursions were going to be correct, and Don believed more and more with every red X that appeared in his goggles’ scan that this was going to be one of the failures. It was just frustrating that the scale of the failure was this large. Separated from his team, “forced” to truce with an enemy, on top of not being able to produce the armor piece.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um.” It was the kid who uncomfortably broke the silence they had fallen into, glancing up at Donatello nervously. Don just scanned with his tech once more, aiming to remind the mutant his place in their forced dynamic. “Draxum doesn’t, like…. keep you in a cage right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie immediately dropped his goggles back down to his neck to look at him, shocked. “Wha--No?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, you’re ok right? He doesn’t... hurt you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>No!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Contrary to your personal opinions of my father, I am not a prisoner!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You mean.... you get along?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie rolled his eyes, uncaring if it offended the nosey kid. In fact, he poured as much disdain into his tone as possible, so the dumb-dumb would get the message. "I wouldn't be there if we didn't."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Michelangelo only hummed, like he didn’t just outright insult Donatello’s family to his very face, “That’s good. I was really worried…. We don’t really know a whole lot about Draxum.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Donatello pointedly looked straight ahead, holding his head high, “perhaps you should conduct your own research before blindly believing in the first thing you assume.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kid actually looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging and admitting, “Yeah, probably....” and then sent another bright smile up at the turtle trying his hardest to passively disregard him. “I’m glad you still sound like yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The constant change of topics was enough to give Donatello whiplash. “Thanks? I guess.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Out of nowhere Mikey groaned, startling Donnie into a stop. Like Donnie’s full body flinch, Mikey used his full body to roll his head back dramatically. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even though you still suck at small-talk.” Mikey complained with a grin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello turned on his heel to glare, “Well, pardon </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> for being unprepared on conversing in a casual setting with the enemy!” He put a hand to his chin in a faux display of interest “Tell me, Michael, how is the weather treating you? Or perhaps you would like to small-talk about your proposed plans with the humans? I didn’t thi-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have any plans with the humans?” Mikey curiously interrupted, successfully bringing Donnie’s words to a halt. “We’re…. Just vibing with them, I guess? New York is our home too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...You’ve simply collectively decided to… pack-bond with the human race? Scoff.” Don rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The humans are cool—sure if they find out about us they would uh…. Totally freak, but in the end they’re not that different from us.” Mikey had straightened up and casually rested his arms behind his neck as they continued walking, “I think we could get along with the rest of them--We both like pizza and movies and video games. That’s how we have April. So they can’t be that bad, right? Or else what does that say about us?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello felt himself go cross-eyed at the philosophy. Donatello had only focused on the differences, on the things that set him apart from the humans. Did the mutants really not see any of that? Were they solely interested in what made them alike? The kid--Mikey--put it so… simply. Like it was a fact of life. And the craziest part was Don could actually understand it. Not to say he agreed with it--his father’s unfair experience and the humans’ inherent prejudice to anything resembling a monster to them still held highest importance. Their main difference, the things Donnie couldn’t control, was always going to overshadow the ways in which they could be similar. But… he could understand it, if one was an optimistic person such as Mikey.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello found himself wishing he could be as optimistic. Surely, if it were that easy to understand, then there would be no issue between humans and Yokai. They could… just co-exist. But the truth stung.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't bother bringing that up. Mikey was young and naïve, and frankly too friendly for his own good, but it was not Donatello's responsibility to educate him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He ignored the fact that having that childish face smile with full confidence in his words made it difficult to simply tell the truth. The kid would figure it out someday. And, if he does, maybe when Baron Draxum leads the Yokai revolution, Donatello could vouch for the kid.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>….Yeah, it was best that he doesn’t get attached. No more sympathizing with the enemy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donstello shook the thoughts out of his head and got back to his search. His feeling of responsibility would likely fade as he gets back to the life that makes sense to him, to where he belongs. His only responsibility was to himself, and his people.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Dee?" Mikey spoke up again, suddenly timid.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie sighed with all the air in his lungs, "Yeah, Mikey?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I really am really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> glad you're ok…."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie peeked over at his temporary companion curiously. He didn’t even realize he had left his guard so down to take his attention off him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey continued, "....Even though you don't believe me…. Even if you never get your memories back, I'm... just happy you're okay."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie felt like he needed to invest in sunglasses if this kid was going to beam at him like he was some kind of role model. He swallowed and quickly pretended to do another scan with his goggles, suddenly feeling...odd. His throat was tight, was he getting the flu Huginn mentioned? Muninn was sneezing too, and he did feel lightheaded earlier; these dots could be connected.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He honestly tried to verbalize anything that would match the tone and expectations of the conversation, his mouth opening and closing as the words failed to come to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey chuckled, "It's okay, dude--I know you don't do touchy-feely. I understand."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello blinked, bewildered, as they continued to walk. That was...unexpected. Only someone who knew him would come to that understanding so quickly and fluidly, and accept it all the same.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But...what did that mean exactly? Was Mikey really just...that friendly? That trustworthy?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>...Did... we actually used to get along?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both Donatello’s train of thought and pace stopped abruptly at the sound of voices, instinctively placing his bō across Mikey’s chest to halt him as well. He listened closer without the sound of their footsteps to distract him. Mikey sent him a curious and questioning look before he, too, heard the voices.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey recognized them immediately, even if he couldn’t process the conversation as words at their distance. Those voices were his family. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Their </span>
  </em>
  <span>family.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey took a faltered look back at Donnie. He finally had his kidnapped brother right here at his side, chatting like old times, and now he had to will his legs to leave him behind? The thought of dragging him back, kicking and screaming did occur to him, but his loyalty to honoring the truce they created overshadowed his wants. Donnie was safe in Draxum’s hands, somehow, and Mikey knew without a single doubt that he was still there. He wasn’t even hidden inside the shell of another character like Raph would get sometimes--he was right here on the surface. He just didn’t know it yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, Mikey couldn’t force him back, not without shattering the trust he fought to build. He sniffed as he held back the tears and rushed to catch the nervous Donnie into a hug. He felt his hopes skyrocket as he felt Donnie’s posture straighten at the contact--an act that Donnie consistently participated in and an upgrade from the skittish flinches he’s done all day. Mikey muttered a muffled quick couple words into the softshell’s chest before quickly letting go and beaming up at him as a goodbye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donatello simply refused to ponder the words the younger wanted to convey. It wasn’t important. What was important right now was regrouping with his own family. He continued to hear the distant voices of Mikey’s family and wondered if the younger realized how much they were fretting while he procrastinated here. He then wondered if the same awaited him….</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They...aren't the fretting type.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He told himself he felt relief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was at that moment that he realized he failed the goal he just established for himself: Don’t get attached. And it was at that moment he remembered he could easily take Mikey with him. The requisites of their truce were complete, and bringing another supporter back to Draxum would be a good thing. Right? Surely Mikey would realize the injustices the humans bring, and would want to fight for equal chances. He could convince his father to agree--Draxum trusted him!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then why did it feel so wrong?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He heard yelling in the distance, and even Mikey turned his head at that. He seemed worried about his family, yet unwilling to go to them. Perhaps he had his own plan now that their truce was null. Donnie couldn't risk stalling in his decision while Mikey's family grew nearer. He had to go with the one his intuition believed in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shakily tapped on the screen of his bō and in an instant the metal unfolded and expanded out of his hand, becoming nearly too big to hold. He calmly moved to stand beside the little brother he couldn't remember.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"'Box mode', now." Was the only warning Mikey got before he got an elbow to the plastron, sending him to the ground...wait.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ground was not this cold and hard earlier… "Huh-wha?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mikey looked down at the hastily reconfigured slingshot contraption, and hurriedly looked back up at the big brother he missed so, so much. His heart ached as he caught on, despite just realizing it was a long climb to get Donnie's full trust. It was going to be worth it. He was sure of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Donnie couldn't meet his eyes, too busy gauging angles, velocities, and the environmental factors in order to perfectly achieve his hastily assembled field test. The little orange turtle had only seconds to box himself into his shell, no questions asked. The instant he did, Mikey was flung into the air for the second time that day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, he wasn't afraid. Heights didn't scare him.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Donnie: Don't get attached to it. (gets a hug) Instructions were unclear.</p><p>Had a lot of trouble with the pacing and the back-and-fourth POVs--also I need to hire someone to pour ice water on me every time I try to write multiple chapters of the same fic at the same time. BUT HEY it's not more than 8,000 words so that was the goal lmao</p><p>Sneaky 'Angelo is onto something. Meanwhile Raph's gonna give himself an ulcer and Leo postpones his emotional breakdown once more. It's fun!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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